Agatha Christie & Ladies' Home Journal (1932-1988)

This article looks in depth at Agatha Christie’s four short stories and four novels that were published between 1932 and 1988. Many Christie stories were frequently published in magazines and newspapers before their initial hardback edition was published and they are appealing to collect as they are often true first printings and were frequently accompanied by original illustrations.

The photo and text above are from the Table of Contents page in the June 1935 issue.

Ladies Home Journal: A Brief History.

As one of the American magazines that secured the rights to publish a number of Christie’s stories, Ladies' Home Journal (LHJ) is worth being aware of. The magazine was first published on February 16, 1883, and after hiring Editor Edward W. Bok (whose tenure was 1889-1919) the magazine was able to attract well-known writers from Europe and the United States. By offering quality fiction and nonfiction articles primarily for a female audience, LHJ’s circulation grew rapidly and in 1903 it became the first American publication to reach one million subscribers.

Editor Edward Bok continued innovating, including establishing service departments to answer all the letters from readers along with advertising standards that eliminated fraud and extravagant claims by advertisers. The magazine became known for its attention to social causes including its refusal to advertise patent medicines, and its associated campaign against those products which helped bring about the passage of the U.S. Federal Food and Drugs Act in 1906. Its concern for social causes continued throughout the century. In 1968, when it featured Black model Naomi Sims on its cover, the magazine helped break the barrier that had prevented Black models from achieving supermodel status.

While its success lasted for many decades, many competitors sought to imitate LHJ. By the mid-20th century its older rival, McCall’s (1873), finally bested it in terms of circulation. The magazine’s decline led to its sale to the Meredith Corporation in 1986. While it still had a circulation of over four million in the early 2000s, the rise of the internet finally led to its demise. Monthly publication ended in 2014, and all publication ceased in 2016.

However, during its 133 years of existence, LHJ published four Agatha Christie short stories (one twice) and four full-length novels. Detailed below in chronological order of publication are their Agatha Christie stories.

The First Three LHJ Short Stories.

1932: January. Vol. 49, No. 1. The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest.

And all that time, as they danced and played poker, there was a dead man in the room with them.

First Global appearance of this story as it was published simultaneously with its British publication in The Strand. While this story appeared in the 1933 anthology Best Mystery Stories of the Year 1932 (Faber, UK), it did not appear in a Christie collection until 1939 in the US (The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories) and 1997 in the UK (While the Light Lasts and Other Stories). This story was accompanied by one colour illustration by Robert E. Lee. Robert Edmond Lee (1899-1980) was a San Francisco-born illustrator who studied at the Art Students League of New York. He is well known for his work in the 1920s and 1930s, during which time he created many illustrations and covers for LHJ. Of note, this short story was modified and lengthened into The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, which first appeared in 1960 in Woman’s Illustrated. 

1932: June. Vol. 49, No. 6. The Second Gong.

"M. Hercule Poirot, no longer a rather comic-looking guest, led the way past the gong and said: "Messieurs, we must break open this door immediately!"

First Global appearance. It did not appear until the following month in the UK when it was published in The Strand. Its first book appearance was the 1933 anthology Many Mysteries (Rich & Cowan, UK). The story did not appear in a Christie collection until 1948 in the US (Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories) and 1991 in the UK (Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories). The magazine featured illustrations by R.J. (Ray) Prohaska (1901-1981) who was born in Montenegro (formerly Yugoslovia), and was an illustrator for over 40 years and a teacher at the Art Students League. His illustrations are found in many publications including the Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, Colliers, McCall's, Redbook, and LHJ. Of note, as with The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest this story was also expanded and became Dead Man’s Mirror.

1935: June. Vol. 52, No. 6. How Does Your Garden Grow?

First Global appearance. It appeared two month later in the UK in The Strand. It first appeared in a Christie collection in the US in 1939 (The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories) but not until 1974 in the UK (Poirot’s Early Cases). In addition to the photograph and brief bio of Agatha that was on the Contents page (images shown earlier), the story featured two illustrations by Mead Schaeffer. Schaeffer was born in New York and attended the Pratt Institute, and when on to be a prolific illustrator and artist primarily for Saturday Evening Post where he created over 30 covers. Of note, he was also a cover artist for Dodd, Mead & Co. for many years though I've been unable to identify any Christie cover he did for that publisher.

The Four LHJ Novels.

1959: November. Vol. 76, No. 11. Cat Among the Pigeons.

While abridged, this is the first American appearance in any form. It was preceded by the British serialisation in John Bull magazine in September and October. The complete novel was published in the UK on November 2, 1959 and in the US on November 11, 1960. A single illustration by Joe De Mers (1910–1984) accompanied the novel. Born in San Diego, he trained at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles and worked within the esteemed Cooper Studio in New York. He became renowned for his stylish, romantic, and often intimate depictions of women and couples primarily in Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping. Of note are Christie's personal comments that were published on the Contents page, including her love of collecting papier-mache furniture, and that she agrees with the Chinese that the years between sixty and seventy are the best of one's life.

1962: April. Vol. 79, No. 4. The Pale Horse.

Although abridged, this is the first American appearance in any form of the novel. It was preceded by the British serialisation in Woman’s Mirror in late 1961. The book was also published in the UK in November 1961 – preceding LHJ. However, the American book was not published until September 1962. The magazine included a photograph of Christie and brief teaser for the novel on the contents page. The one, large colour illustration was by Eugenie Louis, an illustrator I was unable to effectively research.

1975: July – August. Vol. 92, Nos. 7 & 8.  Curtain.

First Global appearance, preceding the British appearance in Woman’s Own that appeared in September and October 1975. In LHJ it was published over two instalments and used Agatha Christie’s original title as documented in her notebook and on the original manuscript. A single illustration by Mark English (1933-2019) accompanied the first instalment, from which a cutout was taken and used with the second instalment. English was born in Texas and trained at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He had an illustrious career primarily with TIME and Sports Illustrated. In 1977, he became a Artist-in-Residency for Hallmark greeting cards, teaching its creative staff. A brief summary of Agatha Christie's career and a teaser for this novel also appeared at the beginning (image below) of the first instalment.

When the novel was published in book form, it was titled as Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case, and it was published in September 1975 in the UK and in October 1975 in the US.

1976: July – August. Vol. 93, Nos. 7 & 8. Sleeping Murder.

First Global appearance, preceding the British appearance in Woman that appeared in September and October 1976. In LHJ it was published over two instalments and used a shorter title that the books which were Sleeping Murder: Miss Marple’s Last Case. These first printings were in September 1976 in the US and in October 1976 in the UK. The first instalment featured one large illustration by Fred Otnes (above right). The second instalment (images below), reused elements from that first illustration.

Fred Otnes (1925-2015) was a prolific illustration with major publications such as The Saturday Evening Post. As an illustrator and fine artist, Otnes won more than 200 awards in his lifetime.

Two More (Reprinted) Short Stories.

1984: January. Vol. 101, No. 1. How Does Your Garden Grow? 

This reprinted short story was marketed as ‘Four From The Past’ by LHJ. Along with this Christie story were three others by different authors that had all been previously years earlier. For the Christie story a small portion of the original artwork from 1935 was reused.

1988: February. Vol. 105, No. 2. Siren Business.

This short story first appeared in The Strand (UK) in 1935 and in Liberty in 1936, a US magazine. In the UK, the story was titled Problem at Pollensa Bay, as it was when Dodd, Mead & Co. published it in the Christie collection The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories in 1939. Liberty magazine folded in 1950 and LHJ clearly secured the rights to publish it again which they accompanied with the statement ‘just discovered more than fifty years after its creation’. Given that The Regatta Mystery collection had been published regularly by various paperback issuers this was a bold claim. This newly printed edition featured a large colour image of actors from ‘Murder a la Carte’ staged in their various roles.

In addition, smaller black and white vignettes were placed throughout the story. The whole collection of images appear very soap-opera-ish!

Values and Collecting Tips.

While many Ladies Home Journal magazines appear for sale across online platforms, those containing Christie stories are less prevalent so patience is required. When they appear for sale, for 'very good' copies expect to pay $50-60 for the issues from the 1930s and $20-30 for later issues. Magazines with flaws can be found for less.

When collecting Curtain and Sleeping Murder you may find better value in sourcing the two instalments individually rather than when bundled if marketed as a complete Agatha Christie set. Buying individual issues and building your own pairing per title will likely be the most affordable way to collect them. It is also quite good fun to have a checklist of all the issues of different magazines you want and solely buy them as individuals. Knowing the specific issues you want is important as many vendors of magazines solely show the covers and fall to be specific about the contents.

As to condition, expect most American magazines from the mid-20th century to have address labels affixed. Damage to the spine, separation of covers, dirt and wear are all common. While not something I typically write about, all of these issues can generally be improved or stablised with the right materials and skill. If magazine repair appeals to you, consider viewing related videos on YouTube or reading books about conservation. In addition, I do recommend storing magazines in acid-free clear sleeves to avoid further damage.

Do you know all about Ackroyd?

Do you think you know all there is to know about The Murder of Roger Ackroyd? The core parts of my presentation for the 2026 International Agatha Christie Festival have now been researched. I believe that my talk will contain plenty of new information and insights into this groundbreaking novel - even for the most informed audience members. My illustrated talk should bring everyone fresh insights into the story's life - from print to stage to screen. Individual tickets are still available, so if you are planning on coming to the Festival, book soon. It's on 'Roger Ackroyd Day' - September 17th 2026 - in Torquay, Devon, England. Full details & tickets at this link.

Other Items:

Later this year, I'll be sharing some news about a wonderful book I was able to contribute to along with some other projects that I'm excited about. So do consider following me on Facebook, X, BlueSky and Instagram - I can be found on all of those platforms easily under the name 'Collect Christie' or 'Collecting Christie'.

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 Happy Collecting!