Popular Mechanics

    (Hearst Corp, 1902-Present)

Popular Mechanics was founded as a weekly in Chicago by Henry Haven Windsor with the first issue dated January 11, 1902. His concept was that it would explain “the way the world works“ in plain language, with photo and illustrations to aid comprehension. For decades, its tagline was: “Written so you can understand it.“
In September 1903, the magazine, formerly a weekly, became a monthly. The Popular Mechanics Company was owned by the Windsor family and printed in Chicago until the Hearst Corporation purchased the magazine in 1958.
From the first issue, the magazine featured a large illustration of a technological subject, a look that evolved into the magazine’s characteristic full-page, full-color illustration and a small 6.5-by-9.5-inch (170 mm x 240 mm) trim size beginning with the July 1911 issue. It maintained the small format until 1975 when it switched to a larger standard trim size. In 1915, Popular Mechanics adopted full-color cover illustrations, and the look was widely imitated by later technology magazine.
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