Reading Magazines: Stefan Lorant And Picture Post, 1939-1941 : A Study Of The Picture Editor's Work From The Archive Of Modern Conflict's Collection

This thesis considers the work and influence of legendary twentieth century editor Stefan Lorant (1901-1997) for Picture Post magazine (1938-1957), during the period, 1939-1941. Comprising four chapters, this thesis commences with a literature survey covering history of photography and photojournalism texts, publications written about Picture Post, and recent scholarly writing. The second chapter centers its discussion on the first four years of Picture Post’s activity, comparing the editorial work of Lorant and Tom Hopkinson (1905-1990), who became editor in 1940. Next, “Organizing a Magazine: Structure and Content”, examines the magazine’s arrangement and composition under Lorant’s editorship. Finally, “Lorant and the Photo Essay” looks at the editor’s use of the double page spread format, considering both its content and layout. By studying Stefan Lorant’s work in the pages of the weekly, this thesis examines how a visual story was constructed during the late 1930s in the pages of Picture Post.