# Lewis Publishing Company

> magazine publishing company founded by E. G. Lewis

**Wikidata**: [Q100319981](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100319981)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lewis-publishing-company

## Summary
Lewis Publishing Company was a magazine publishing firm founded by Edward Gardner Lewis (E. G. Lewis) in the late 19th century, best known for publishing *The Woman's Magazine*, an early American women's periodical based in University City, Missouri. The company operated in the St. Louis area during the formative years of U.S. mass media, contributing to the landscape of gendered publications around 1900.

## Key Facts
- Founded by Edward Gardner Lewis (E. G. Lewis)
- Magazine publishing company (instance of: publishing house)
- Published *The Woman's Magazine* (inception: 1899)
- Headquarters: University City, Missouri, United States
- *The Woman's Magazine* was published in St. Louis, Missouri
- The magazine targeted female readers with early 20th-century content
- Known aliases: E. G. Lewis Publishing Company
- Bibliographic identifiers for *The Woman's Magazine*: OCLC 27979889, 6483713; Library of Congress IDs sf86090983, ca06000058
- The magazine is also referenced as *Woman's Magazine* or *Winner*
- A 1910 cover of *The Woman's Magazine* is preserved in Wikimedia Commons
- The company is historically associated with the publishing industry and mass media

## FAQs
**Who founded Lewis Publishing Company?**  
Edward Gardner Lewis, commonly known as E. G. Lewis, established the company as part of his ventures in early American magazine publishing. He was a notable entrepreneur in the periodical industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

**What publications is Lewis Publishing Company known for?**  
The company is primarily known for publishing *The Woman's Magazine*, an American women's periodical founded in 1899. This magazine was its flagship title, focusing on content for female readers during the early 1900s.

**Where was Lewis Publishing Company headquartered?**  
The company's headquarters were in University City, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. *The Woman's Magazine* itself was published in St. Louis, indicating the company's operational base in that metropolitan area.

**When was Lewis Publishing Company active?**  
The company was active by 1899, the inception year of *The Woman's Magazine*, and likely operated into the early 1900s. The magazine's publication run and historical references place the company's activity in the turn-of-the-century period, though exact dissolution dates are not provided.

**Is Lewis Publishing Company still in operation?**  
There is no indication in the source material that the company remains active; *The Woman's Magazine* is no longer in publication, and the company is referenced only in historical contexts related to early American publishing.

## Why It Matters
Lewis Publishing Company represents a regional player in the expansion of American magazine publishing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by the rise of specialized periodicals. Through *The Woman's Magazine*, the company contributed to the burgeoning genre of women's media, which played a crucial role in shaping gender norms, cultural discourse, and consumer culture for female audiences. Its existence highlights how localized publishing hubs, like the St. Louis area, fed into national media trends, often under entrepreneurial leaders like E. G. Lewis. The preservation of the magazine in library catalogs and digital archives allows researchers to study early 20th-century social history, making the company a point of interest in media evolution and the business of periodical publishing.

## Notable For
- Publishing *The Woman's Magazine*, an early women's periodical founded in 1899 that targeted female readers with contemporary cultural and social content.
- Being founded by Edward Gardner Lewis, an entrepreneurial figure in early American magazine publishing known for innovative distribution models.
- Operating from University City, Missouri, as part of the St. Louis metropolitan publishing ecosystem.
- Producing a publication with a preserved 1910 cover, offering visual insight into early 20th-century magazine design.
- Having its flagship magazine documented in major library systems (OCLC, Library of Congress), ensuring accessibility for historical research.
- Representing a regional publisher that contributed to the national landscape of women's media during a formative era.

## Body
### History and Founding
Lewis Publishing Company was established by Edward Gardner Lewis (E. G. Lewis) as a magazine publishing firm during the late 19th century. The company emerged amid a boom in American periodical publishing, when specialized magazines targeting specific demographics, such as women, gained prominence. Its most significant venture was *The Woman's Magazine*, which launched in 1899, positioning the company as a participant in the early women's magazine market. E. G. Lewis's entrepreneurial approach included innovative subscription and distribution methods common among publishers of that era, though specific details about the company's founding date or other publications are not provided in the source material.

### Publications and Output
The company's primary known output was *The Woman's Magazine*, an American women's magazine that began publication in 1899. The magazine catered to female readers with content relevant to early 20th-century interests, including fashion, homemaking, literature, and social issues. It was also referred to by alternative titles such as *Woman's Magazine* or *Winner*. The magazine's 1910 cover, preserved in Wikimedia Commons, exemplifies its design aesthetics and branding from that period. While the source does not list other publications, the company's classification as a magazine publishing firm suggests it may have produced additional periodicals, though none are detailed here.

### Location and Operations
Lewis Publishing Company was headquartered in University City, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. *The Woman's Magazine* was published in St. Louis itself, indicating that editorial and printing operations were centered in that metropolitan area. This regional base placed the company within a broader network of American publishers that leveraged local resources and distribution channels to reach national audiences. The St. Louis region was a notable hub for publishing and media production in the late 1800s and early 1900s, providing a supportive ecosystem for companies like Lewis Publishing.

### Bibliographic and Archival Details
*The Woman's Magazine* is documented in major library and archival systems, with identifiers that facilitate research access:
- **OCLC Numbers**: 27979889 and 6483713, used by libraries worldwide to catalog and locate copies.
- **Library of Congress IDs**: sf86090983 and ca06000058, providing additional bibliographic control in the United States' national library system.
These identifiers pertain to the magazine as a publication but are directly tied to the company as its publisher. The existence of these records underscores the magazine's preservation for historical study, even though the company itself may not have extensive independent archival documentation.

### Legacy and Historical Context
As the publisher of an early women's magazine, Lewis Publishing Company contributed to the genre that influenced gender roles and cultural narratives in the early 20th century. *The Woman's Magazine* served as a platform for content that reflected and shaped the lives of American women during a period of significant social change. The company's association with E. G. Lewis links it to the entrepreneurial spirit of the era, where publishers experimented with business models to capture growing markets. Although the company's full lifespan and catalog are not fully detailed, its role in producing a historically preserved periodical secures its place in the narrative of American media history. The magazine's availability in digital and physical archives allows scholars to examine early 20th-century editorial approaches, advertising, and design, making the company a subject of interest for research into women's studies and publishing history.

### Related Entities and Relationships
- **Edward Gardner Lewis**: Founder and driving force behind Lewis Publishing Company, recognized as a key figure in early magazine publishing.
- ***The Woman's Magazine***: The company's flagship publication, an American women's magazine (1899–early 1900s) that provides the primary evidence of the company's activities.
- **University City, Missouri**: The headquarters location, a planned community near St. Louis that housed various businesses and institutions in the early 1900s.
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: The place of publication for *The Woman's Magazine*, representing the urban center where the company's editorial and printing operations were based.
- **Publishing Industry**: The company operated within the broader publishing sector, specifically as a magazine publisher contributing to mass media.
- **Women's Magazines**: The company's product fits into a category of periodicals that targeted female audiences, a rapidly growing segment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- **Library and Archival Systems**: Through *The Woman's Magazine*, the company is indirectly linked to institutions like the Library of Congress and OCLC, which preserve its output for posterity.

### Conclusion
Lewis Publishing Company stands as a historical example of a regional American magazine publisher that left a tangible legacy through *The Woman's Magazine*. Its operations in University City and St. Louis reflect the decentralized nature of early U.S. publishing, while its focus on women's content aligns with broader cultural trends of the era. The company's significance lies in its contribution to the archival record of early 20th-century media, providing a window into the editorial strategies, design choices, and social themes of the time. Though not a major national player, its preserved publication ensures its relevance for scholars exploring the evolution of gendered periodicals and the business of magazine publishing.