Appealing to Modern Families
Shiseido Geppō (monthly), 1924–1931

In 1924, the year after the Great Kantō Earthquake, Shiseido launched Shiseido Geppō (Shiseido Monthly), a publication devoted to providing not only beauty tips, but discussion of art, literature, and international fashion. Beginning in 1926, Shiseido Geppō featured cover photos reflecting the aesthetic interests and tastes of Fukuhara Shinzo, the son of Shiseido’s founder and one of the company’s most charismatic and influential presidents. As the following run of photographic covers from 1926 to 1931 reveals, this innovative commercial venture offered a particularly appealing image of middle-class motherhood and family life.