Published continuously since 1903, when it was known as The Red Book magazine, this mass-circulation American monthly is now targeted toward young wives and mothers, Redbook is regarded in the media industry as one of the so-called "Seven Sisters" of women's service magazines, a badge shared with Good Housekeeping, Ladies' Home Journal and McCalls, among others. But it was not until 1951 that its format was revamped to include its now-familiar mix of articles on contemporary living that, in its own words, "help young working mothers bring balance to a hectic life and focus on what matters most."

The Red Book was so named because, in the words of founding editor Trumbull White, "Red is the color of happiness." For the first several decades of its existence, many of them under the editorship of Edwin Balmer, the magazine was primarily a vehicle for short fiction. However, even Balmer realized that...