HERSTORIA Magazine

I would guess that the editors of this new magazine aim to plug the gap between popular history periodicals with a traditional (male) view of history and academic feminist or gender studies journals. The popular magazine formula, with short articles, many illustrations, pointers to further reading rather than references and some low-key 'Listings' aims 'to bring (the reader) the past as experienced by women and to explore issues and events from a female perspective'.

Issue One certainly covers a wide range of topics and presents them in an attractive manner. The poet Sappho, Women Pirates and the History of Girls' School Stories all feature with colour photographs whilst several academics make their own personal points about the role of women in the study of history. The occasional series on Britain's stately homes and the women associated with them 'Mistress of the House' is a good example of the popular history based themes of the magazine's focus. February's 'Mistress' is Bess of Hardwick and a brief account of her life and times and the difficulties she would have encountered in her rise to power are accompanied by colour illustrations of Bess herself (looks a bit like my old geography teacher!) and Hardwick Hall. The populist theme is underlined by a brief separate discussion of a rather tenuous link with Jane Austen.

The subject of the first of a series 'In Her View' is Lesley Hall, currently the archivist at the Wellcome Library in London but also a broadcaster and leading historian. Like that of other historians in this field Lesley's view is that women's history is not just reflected in the recording and research of lesser known individual's success stories but in changing the perspective of the view of history. This opens our mind both to the achievements of women and to the way these have been downgraded. You can read more on Lesley's website www.lesleyahall.net

None of the articles in Herstoria are long but Fiona Hobden examines aspects of the poetry and sexuality of Sappho of Lesbos in some detail, discussing it in relation to 7th Century BC society and marriage customs. Her article is illustrated with fragments from Sappho's poetry and possible portraits from surviving pottery.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ju Gosling's account of the history and background of the girls' School Story from the beginning of the Twentieth century. This possibly says something about my age and generation. Like many of my contemporaries, as a 10 to 12 year old I loved the tales of Malory Towers and even sought out the books of my mother's generation such as The Chalet School series. I even tried to write one of my own! Apparently Angela Brazil, Elsie Oxenham and Elinor Brent-Dyer and Co. still have their fans amongst women collectors across the world and there appears to be a thriving community of conferences, collector's magazines and internet chat rooms.

Many of the features are very enjoyable. A 'Women's History Walk' around Bloomsbury, taken from Lesley Hall's website, for instance, has inspired me to have a go next time I have an hour spare in London. This looks as if it is part of a regular series (the May issue features a Liverpool walk) and could be an interesting introduction to Women's History.

However, this is not a magazine for those who are steeped in the subject and who are looking for detailed academic research and discussion. Several times I longed for further details and research and no more so than in the first few pages in the section entitled Déjà Vu? The 2009 Children's Society Report was compared with comments on women's roles over the past 200 hundred years. This is a vast and complex subject and I feel that the subject was ill served by the small space available. I understand that this is not a magazine of academic research (it would appear that Women's History Review might serve better on this front) but I do feel that serious subjects do warrant a little more space for discussion than a couple of columns and a jolly picture.

On the whole though Herstoria is an enjoyable read and could well be a good introduction to further study of Women's History.

Rosemary Conely