The Outspan

The Outspan was a South African weekly magazine (1927–1957), continued as the fortnightly Personality (6 June 1957 – 23 December 1965).[1] Its subtitle was "South Africa's Weekly for Everybody". It was published in Bloemfontein by The Friend Newspapers Ltd, first appearing on 4 March 1927, and is said to have been established following the pattern of the British Everybody's, which was set up in 1913.[2]

A cover from 1944

The 1953 book Brown's South Africa describes The Outspan as

"The most widely-read magazine published in Southern Africa. Contains a wealth of first-class fiction and special articles, mostly by South African writers; generously illustrated ...",[3]

and the 1989 South African Family Encyclopedia says that:

"The second longest-lasting (only Huisgenoot proved more durable) and, within the English-speaking community, perhaps the best-loved of all general interest magazines, was The Outspan ...".[4]

Contributors

Contributors are said to have included: Agatha Christie, Wernher von Braun, Admiral Donitz, Stuart Cloete, Denis Compton, Eddie Cantor, Major-General Sir Francis de Guingand, Donald Campbell, P. G. Wodehouse, Viscount Montgomery, Adolf Eichmann and Manuel Fangio.[2]

Dorothy Kay produced two to four illustrations for The Outspan every week from 1927 to 1945,[5][6] and Frank Bellamy published a series of illustrations in 1955–1956.[7]

Sample contents

The 28 January 1949 issue is described[8] as containing "pictures, articles, features and fiction".

Items included:

  • "The Beautiful Madness" by Mildred Cram
  • Johannesberg
  • What it means to provide 3,500,000 meals a year on the railways
  • Gossip about players who appear on the South African screen
  • "It all happened in a crowded Durban tearoom" by June Holme
  • Cricket - the Australians will bring a strong pace attack to South Africa this year
  • Smuts
  • "My mother said I never should" by Ann Butler

References
  1. "Catalogue record for "The Outspan"". British Library. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  2. Boyd, Norman (2 December 2012). "Frank Bellamy and Outspan magazine". The Frank Bellamy Checklist Blog. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  3. Hale, R. (1953). Brown's South Africa. Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company. p. 52. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  4. Murphy, Allison; Pulter, Phillida Brooke (1989). The South African family encyclopaedia. Struik. p. 216. ISBN 9780869778876. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  5. Cuthbertson, Hazel (31 October 2018). "Does anyone know if there is an archive of The Outspan magazine?". The Heritage Portal. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  6. Proud, Hayden. "Dorothy Kay". Revisions: Expanding the narrative of South African art. Campbell Smith Collection. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  7. "The magazine/fanzine work". The Frank Bellamy Checklist Blog. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  8. "The Outspan magazine January 28, 1949 back issue for sale South African publication pure nostalgia". Tilleys Vintage Magazines. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
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