COLLECTION #218: Vintage Children's Friend Magazines from the '30s and '40s

I shared with you last week, some of my vintage LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon) magazines from the early part of the 20th century. Today, I have a collection of Children's Friend magazines from the 1930s and 1940s. The Children's Friend was the Church's publication for children, leaders and teachers. Today, it is called the Friend, and is one of the longest lasting publications in the USA. We always had the Children's Friend in our home growing up, and I remember it from even before I was old enough to read, since my older siblings had their copies. Later, when I became a professional illustrator, my first illustrations were published in the Friend, and I have contributed illustrations as recently as five years ago. So, it's always had a warm spot in my heart.

Typical of children's magazines of the era, the Children's Friend was filled with stories, puzzles, activities, arts and crafts, and photos of children far and wide, participating in church activities. Next week I'll share with you my collection of Children's Friend magazines from the 1950s and '60s.

For those of you who are LDS, you will note a photo and name of Mildred T. Pettit on the left photo on the page above: she is the composer of the children's song, "I Am a Child of God".

COLLECTION #101: Old Mormon Missionary Tracts

These old missionary tracts from the 1920s and 1930s were in my Grandfather's possessions when my husband and I acquired my grandparent's home when we were first married. They are fun to look at, and to read, and are important treasures to me. As a former missionary myself, it's fun to see the type of literature the missionaries used to leave behind.... other than the graphics, not much different from the brochures we used in the early '70s. At least one of these belonged to my Uncle Harold, who was a missionary in the 1930s. His name is written inside the cover of the Mr. Durant one, and I plan on presenting it to his sons who are coming to visit us on Sunday.

It's also interesting to see the names and locations of the different Missions in the United States in that era: today there are more missions in California than there were in the entire United States in 1930. We have well over 100 missions in the US today.