Magazines History

The history of the journals is, as in the case of the press, closely linked to the literature and in general all areas and intellectual figures in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, were of great relevance daily happenings in the country; characters that understood the importance of cultural information transmitted by routes other than the usual.

These intellectuals founded numerous periodicals, usually unsuccessful, this account of economic difficulties and differences of opinion that existed or arose between those who ran them. However, there are some publications that stand out for its contents, by the amount of time that were in circulation, and above all, by the people who participated in its preparation.

This expansion and dynamism in the magazines came after the exploits of Independence, thanks to the search for a country wishing to resurrect and create their own identity through, among other things, periodicals were imbued with the cultural, political, economic and scientific, which was intended to consolidate the birth of the new Colombian Government.

Bogotá as capital, was where most magazines were published, however, in cities like Barranquilla, Cali and Medellin, there are also highly relevant publications.

A specific case of this occurs in Barranquilla, in the early twentieth century, with the magazine | Voices, published from August 1917 until April 1920 due to the economic boom that was going on and that is evidenced by the large amount of official advertising appearing in the magazine and helped succeed.

Voices has been regarded not only as the most important cultural and literary magazine of its time in Colombia, but also as one of the most outstanding in Latin America. It was a magazine read by many people thanks to the dynamism, freshness and earnestness with which he treated each of the issues, as well as being a reflection of Colombian society and to have writers such as Luis Carlos López, Gregorio Castañeda Aragón, José Félix Fuenmayor, Víctor Manuel García, Tomás Rueda Vargas, Fernando de la Vega, Luis Tablanca, Eustasio José Rivera, Luis Lopez de Mesa and Max Grillo, among others, many of whom, even though they were not famous, and showed his literary and narrative qualities.

By then, in Colombia also published magazines | New Time, Culture and the writer, among others.

Another interest magazine of the time, that even predates | Voices is the literary journal founded by Isidoro Laverde Amaya in 1890. Although only lasts four years, manages to publish works of both well-known writers of the time as new voices writing in Colombia. This magazine is meant for young people hungry for knowledge, a window to become known and to demonstrate that there is untapped talent.

In 1892 appears the journal | Gris (1892-1895), under the direction of a group of young Bogota who sought, through her, leaving behind the past to make way for a future without wars and struggles, rather sufficient science and art, while intended to help develop the country. The magazine published the works of writers such as José Martí, José Asunción Silva items by Enrique Gomez Carrillo and Baldomero Sanin Cano.

In the early twentieth century, in 1905, was founded | Contemporary Review, led by Baldomero Sanin Cano. It faced the difficult challenge of overcoming what has been done by the journal | Gray, because she had left a large footprint, so this new publication was not very attractive to an ever more demanding and knowledgeable. Its main deficiency was that it was neither thought nor magazine literary magazine, then fluctuated between these two sides without managing to define the trend towards either.

For these same years, appears weekly | The Cave (1903), published by Federico Rivas and Rafael Espinosa Guzmán Frade. This weekly news stories published both as literary works, stories, essays and poems by young frivolous aristocracy Bogota.

In 1955 created | Mito, a magazine where topics such as economics, politics, culture and social life had a place without hitting and all the while giving a clear sense of the publication. It was a journal faithfully exemplified the reality of the country through its directors and Jorge Gaitán Durán Hernando Valencia Göelkel, who wanted, through the word, discuss all kinds of opinions and beliefs.

Years later, in more recent times, created the journal | Eco (1960), directed by a large number of people, among whom was a director of Mito. This magazine, at first, seemed made in Europe, as it gave the impression that talking about a society that was not Bogota. However, over time, this changed, which made | Eco to become one of the favorite magazines for the public.

Like these, there have been many magazines were born, lived and disappeared briefly, leaving much of the history of Colombia in its pages. Some, like previous ones, have left trace than others, which, as is the case of the magazine Pan de Cali, are not remembered by most people.

Among those who have left their mark, it is worth remembering the magazine | Arguments, edited and directed by Ruben Jaramillo Vélez, philosopher and professor at National University, where what first was the critical and philosophical reflection, in open opposition to the usual rampant mediocrity that time between the university publications.