I’ve been a bit slow in updating this Blog about current developments, so here goes.
The current programme. (March 2023)
I’m attempting to feed Google’s rapacious and increasingly picky appetite. (It’s all to do with AI I’m told) – but it does involve me in making often hidden changes to every ‘page’ on the website – some you’ll see and some you won’t. I’m told it’s called ‘optimisation’ and if I don`t comply the site will be damned. It seems the old adage ‘content is king’ should be abandoned and be replaced with ‘feed Google or disappear’
Rant over, but to be fair I’ve never bothered too much with the finer points of search engine visibility until now.
I do however wish to pay tribute to the many ‘friends’ of the database who recommend it to others. ‘Influencers’ in modern parlance. (I don’t view or contribute to social media)
Covers
And now for something new.
Quite understandably I’m often asked about source material, and you might be surprised at the number of magazines that have appeared on British news stands over the last 100 years. Regrettably many were short lived for a number of reasons and very rarely turn up in my usual hunting grounds.
To remedy this I’ve opened up a new section called ‘magazine covers’ – There are well over 6000 cover images in my archive and unlike the ‘company’ adverts I’ll restrict the new section to representative and/or interesting examples.
The principal source of adverts featured in the database have been from the two dominant and widely read weekly periodicals of the time, namely ‘Flight’ and ‘The Aeroplane.’
Even the earliest issue of the above are still to be found if you’re patient, and I recommend you are. Wiki, for example is a superb online resource but it can`t ever give the contextual perspective you’ll find in reading an original magazine complete with adverts and covers.
Others like ‘Aeronautics’ (a 1939-1962 monthly) are real treasures and all enthusiasts should endeavour to acquire a set. (not from eBay though given the crazy prices demanded!) Enquire at your local aviation museum as they often have duplicate copies in their libraries and are usually only too happy to let you have them for a small donation.
April 1940 Aeronautics magazine cover.
The first issue of Flight magazine.
I’m endeavouring to include a representative spread of covers to encompass all the years within the database parameters.
Although Aviation Ancestry is known for its display of classic British aviation industry adverts, aviation by its very nature has always been an international affair. In fact I’ve always followed a policy of including adverts from any periodical that was readily available in the UK, most notably, but not exclusively from the United States of America.
Please note that The Aeroplane first introduced colour adverts on their covers around 1929.
Finally for this topic I’ve included any magazine covers that are unusual or of general interest… like this one.
WW2 Swedish Aviation Magazine Cover.
If you’d like to view the current selection of covers click here.
- featured magazine covers aren’t image processed or generally available on request except by arrangement.
That’s it for now, thanks for tuning in, and I promise I’ll try to update these pages more regularly again.