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Time Inc. Subject Files

Call Number

MS 3009-RG 1

Date

1889-2015 (bulk, 1934-1993), inclusive

Creator

Time, inc.

Extent

91.35 Linear feet in 93 record cartons

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The Time Inc. Subject Files contain materials that document the history of Time Inc. as an organization, focusing on the areas of corporate, editorial, and publishing. The records cover the various departments, magazines, publishers, and subsidiary corporations that operate under the Time Inc. umbrella. The Time Inc. Archives originally assembled and arranged the Subject Files for use by writers and researchers working on three authorized volumes of Time Inc. history. This record group contains primary documents from throughout the company and contains the majority of early records.

Historical Note

The Time Inc. Archives originally assembled and arranged the Subject Files for use by writers (Robert T. Elson and Curtis Prendergast) and researchers working on three authorized volumes of Time Inc. history: Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1923-1941; The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1941-1960; and The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1960-1980. Elson published the first volume in 1968.

Arrangement Note

The materials within the Time Inc. Subject Files record group are organized into two series: I. 1960 and Before; and II. 1961 and Later. Each series is organized alphabetically by the subject. Subjects with multiple folders are further organized chronologically.

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Subject Files document the history of Time Inc. as an organization and have information on each publication and many departments at Time Inc. This record group contains primary documents from throughout the company and contains the majority of early records.

The materials focus on three main areas: corporate, editorial, and publishing. Corporate covers the acquisition and sale of entities as well as contracts and agreements between organizations, negotiations, board meetings, and other similar business relations. Editorial relates to the work being done by correspondents, reporters, and researchers. Publishing includes everything from advertising and promotion to production and circulation. While the corporate, editorial, and publishing materials are generally separated from each other, there are instances where they are interfiled. The records cover the various departments, magazines, publishers, and subsidiary corporations that operate under the Time Inc. umbrella.

Included among the documents are annual reports, advertisements, affidavits, agendas, agreements, announcements, biographical summaries, briefs, budgets, clippings, codes of conduct, committee reports, congressional bills, contracts, correspondence, cross reference sheets, directories, drafts, emergency instructions, evacuation/disaster preparedness plans, financial studies, floor plans, guidelines, handwritten notes, ID forms, job descriptions, magazines, memoranda, notes, outlines, pamphlets, photos, policies, polls and statistics, posters, press releases, project proposals, promotional materials, public notices, reports, schedules, scripts, sheet music, staff lists, surveys, telegrams, transcripts, transparencies, work flow charts and other documents regarding Time Inc.'s daily workings. Additionally, there are corporate records such as acquisition agreements, board minutes, board reports, bylaws, dissolution forms, escrow agreements, foreign corporation applications, incorporation certificates, liquidation papers, stock certificates, tax returns, trademark certificates, and transfers of title. Folders with later dates contain a higher quantity of newspaper clippings and press releases. Not all folders include materials. Any folders found empty were retained and noted.

Some of the topics covered are the Cold War, contract negotiations, the United States' foreign and domestic policies, the creation of job descriptions, establishment of an employee health care plan and stock options, hiring guidelines, human resources conflicts related to race and gender, internal and external criticisms, intergovernmental relations, the involvement of the magazine and staff in national political campaigns, lawsuits involving Time Inc., magazine censorship, male employee draft status, manpower problems during World War II, participation in the newspaper guild, proposals for new advertising campaigns, regional political and economic developments, and strategies to boost circulation.

Additional records on the whole history of Time Inc. are in the Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3) and the Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers with the exception of restricted materials. Restricted materials may include privileged attorney correspondence; student records; medical records; personnel performance evaluations; contracts and agreements; and records with personally identifiable information. Unreformatted audiovisual material and digital material in the collection is not accessible. Restricted materials are located in boxes R3 to R5. Materials created within the past 35 years also may be subject to restriction on a case-by-case basis. Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions.

Preferred Citation Note

This record group should be cited as Time Inc. Subject Files, MS 3009-RG 1, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.

Related Archival Materials Note

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the Time Inc. Records. For information about the other records groups and overall information about the archives, please see the Guide to the Time Inc. Records (MS 3009). The collection of books acquired with the records are cataloged as the Time Inc. Reference Library.

Additional records on the whole history of Time Inc. are in the Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3) and the Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).

Collection processed by

Holly Deakyne, Melanie Rinehart, and Samantha Brown

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-09-01 11:52:56 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information Note

The Subject Files were processed and described in 2016 by Samantha Brown. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding. Melanie Rinehart and Brown created the inventory and other descriptive notes to produce this finding aid.

Holly Deakyne added the materials in Box 4273 in 2021.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024