London Opinion

London Opinion and Today, often known as London Opinion, was a British magazine published from 1903 until 1954, when it was merged with Pearson's Men Only. It ran weekly from 26 December 1903 to 27 June 1931, and was then published monthly until April 1954. It took over the weekly Humorist in 1940.[1]

London Opinion
1914 cover
Formatweekly (1903 - 1939); monthly (1939 - 1954)
PublisherPearson / Newnes
Founded26 December 1903
Ceased publicationApril 1954
Circulation300,000 (1914)
OCLC number9862365

Among its most famous covers was the 1914 Lord Kitchener Wants You recruitment picture, designed for the magazine by Alfred Leete, of which the subsequent poster was a variation; at the time London Opinion had a circulation of about 300,000.[2] The magazine started a national limerick craze in 1907.[3][4]

Alfred Leete's Lord Kitchener poster, with "Reproduced by permission of LONDON OPINION" visible at bottom right

Contributors included cartoonists Norman Thelwell,[5] Arthur Watts, Rowel Friers, Bertram Prance and Arthur Ferrier.

References
  1. Anthony Quinn, magforum.com, General weekly magazines
  2. The Daily Telegraph, 2 August 2013, 'Your Country Needs You' - The myth about the First World War poster that 'never existed'
  3. Tony Quinn, magforum.com, London Opinion - the most influential cover
  4. The New York Times, 29 September 1907, GREAT BRITAIN IS LIMERICK-CRAZY; Millions Competing for Prizes Offered by Almost Every Popular Paper in England. $1,225 FOR ONE SILLY LINE Eight Weeklies Paid Out $61,985 In a Single Week to the Winners in Their Competitions.
  5. The Guardian, 10 February 2004, Norman Thelwell


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