Reading on the beach

Image: circa 1939 based on the newspaper ad for new nylon bristled toothbrushes. From https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-warren-photos/6479899635 .

Location appears to be Santa Monica.

Glamour of Hollywood

Glamour of Hollywood magazine published volume one, number one in 1939.

Magazine of the Pacific

Image: http://www.magazineart.org/main.php/v/business/california/California+Magazine+1939-05.jpg.html

This publication was the monthly magazine of the California State Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry. To learn more about them see http://advocacy.calchamber.com/about-us/history/ .

Almanacs

Santa Fe Railway almanac cover and single page example.

Ford Motor Company almanac and single page example..

Almanacs were published and freely distributed by businesses and organizations. Ostensibly, they were to provide reference information such as calendars, moon phases, names of birth month gems as well as wisdom and entertainment. The booklets also contained material promoting the publisher’s product or service and more general industry-wide details such as the amount of taxes paid and number of people employed. This second purpose, sometimes with editorial comment about issues of the day as well, seemed to be intended to inform legislators and voters, presumably to discourage additional taxes and regulation.