Journal

Vogue’s 20th Knitting Book, page by page

This copy of Vogue’s 20th Knitting Book is the earliest of my Vogue knitting books: pink and white cover, over 40 coupon-value designs, price 2/6.

There is no date printed anywhere inside it, but working out where it sits in relation to issues with known dates - there were two knitting books published each year - puts it at 1942.

The book opens with an Editorial page headed “Vogue’s Eye-View of Wartime Knitting”, explaining to readers why the book had got smaller and dearer since the last one, and noting that all hand-knitting yarns had just been brought into coupon control.

I read that page out over the pages turning in the film.

This one’s part of an ongoing series where I sit down with old books and magazines and simply turn the pages, camera on, talking through what’s there. No plan beyond that. You can find the rest of them here: Vintage Books and Magazines, Page by Page

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