Presenter
Mohapatra Anne - South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, GermanyPanel
06 – At the margins of the periodical: reading advertisements in early twentieth-century regional periodicalsAbstract
The Swadesamitran Illustrated Weekly was among the first illustrated Tamil magazines and, upon its launch in the 1930s, could have rivalled global publications with its diverse content, abundant photographs, and extensive advertisements. This previously unexplored periodical offers valuable insights into shifting identities of women during the late colonial period in Tamil-speaking India.
This paper examines how the “Modern Girl” image, originating in interwar American advertising, appeared in this regional magazine. Defined by her use of modern commodities like cosmetics and activities outside the home—such as sports, public romance, or posing as a film star—the Modern Girl is visually characterized by bobbed hair and painted lips. In previous research she is also discussed as a potentially transformative power for women’s lives transgressing traditional roles of mother, dutiful daughter and wife.
By analyzing over 80 advertisements featuring women—from Sunlight Soap to Bournvita—alongside other elements of the magazine, this study finds that the imagery of the Modern Girl was widely employed, even in advertisements tied to themes of motherhood and domesticity. Discussions of new consumer products, such as shoes or soap, occasionally appeared in a fashion-focused section. However, the Modern Girl predominantly emerges as an object of voyeurism used to ‘sell’ rather than as a symbol of transformative power.
