The First Cover of Ms. Magazine

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• In 1971, the editorial team behind what became Ms. brainstormed other possible names for the publication, including “Sisters,” “Everywoman,” and “Bimbo” (meant ironically). They landed on “Ms.” because it announced the magazine’s feminist principles: socially and professionally independent women needed a title that did not disclose their marital status, as did the more common “Miss” and “Mrs.” The New York Times did not incorporate “Ms.” into its house style until 1986—fifteen years after Ms. first went to press.
• This cover was hotly debated. New York’s editor suggested a man and a woman tied together back-to-back, a visual representation of “the battle of the sexes.” Aspiring to address women across sexuality and race, the Ms. staff also considered a face composed of different shades of skin—but according to Steinem, it “didn’t feel real.” Steinem, who had traveled to India, was inspired by the many-armed goddess Kali, a mythic and thus universal figure, and she became the issue’s Everywoman.
• Published one year before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide, the preview issue included a petition, “We Have Had Abortions,” signed by fifty-three prominent women. (A similar statement, “Un Appel des 343 Femmes,” had appeared in the French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur a few months prior.) The signatories included Billie Jean King, Grace Paley, Judy Collins, and Steinem. Some of the women who signed had not in fact undergone abortions but added their names as a show of solidarity.
• Hoping to reach a socioeconomically diverse audience, Ms. editors sought ad revenue to keep subscriptions cheap. But attracting advertisers proved difficult. Electronics companies would not place ads; one rep claimed, “Women don’t understand technology.” A toy train company also refused (trains were for boys). Ads for traditionally feminine products were no easier to procure: Pillsbury, Carnation, and Estée Lauder were scared off by Ms.’s feminist mission. In 1990, Ms. finally went ad-free—and raised its subscription price.
• “In the end we are all housewives, the natural people to turn to when there is something unpleasant, inconvenient, or inconclusive to be done,” wrote Jane O’Reilly in the issue’s cover story, “The Housewife’s Moment of Truth.” Those tasks included making lunch, picking up toys, doing the laundry, and chauffeuring the children. O’Reilly encouraged readers to cut their list of chores in half and “think revolutionary thoughts”: “we know we want things some other way.” We still do.