The Press: What’ll It Be, Gents?

No liquor ads have ever appeared in the Curtis magazines (Satevepost, Ladies’ Home Journal, Country Gentleman). Not that Curtis is anti-liquor. “All of our directors,” President Walter D. Fuller once informed a Curtis Publishing Co. stockholder, “serve liquor moderately in their homes.” But liquor ads, Curtis figured, would hurt its readership among church, school, farm and women’s groups who never touch the stuff.

Last week Curtis got off the wagon and for the first time decided to accept liquor ads, but only in 20-month-old Holiday. It has a different kind of readership from its more sedate Curtis sisters—and a different-looking balance sheet. Said President Fuller: “To add this new classification . . . will increase Holiday’s serviceability both to its advertisers and readers.” It might also help Curtis put money-losing Holiday in the black.