Original volumes of Peterson’s Magazine have been digitized by libraries and archives, making it possible to read many issues online for free. Unfortunately, the available scans are scattered among different collections, and not every year or issue is equally easy to find.

That’s why I created this index.

Below you’ll find my year-by-year collection of Peterson’s Magazine volumes that I have been able to locate online for free. My current index begins with 1848 and continues through 1891. It is not yet a complete archive, and some years have more than one available scan while others are still missing.

Where I’ve found multiple digitized copies, I’ve included them. Different scans can vary in quality and completeness, so if one copy doesn’t contain the material you’re looking for, it’s always worth checking another.

What Can You Find in Peterson’s Magazine?

If you’re researching historical clothing, don’t stop at the fashion plates. Peterson’s published a remarkable variety of material useful to historical sewers and researchers.

Depending on the year and issue, you may find fashion illustrations, garment patterns, descriptions of current fashions, embroidery and crochet patterns, knitting and other fancywork, household material, engravings, fiction, and much more.

These magazines give us something modern fashion-history books cannot: the opportunity to explore clothing and women’s interests through material that women were actually reading during the period.

Choose a year below and start exploring the surviving issues of Peterson’s Magazine online.

1848

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034493183

1849

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034542997

1850

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519832
Jul-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715575

1851

Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034493126

1853

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519840
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034493175

1854

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519857

1855

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519865

1856

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519873
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715625

1857

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519881

1858

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519899

1859

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519907

1860

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519915

1861

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519923
Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.a0008469710

1862

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519931

1863

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519949

1864

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519956

1865

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519964

1866

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519972
Jul-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000716060

1867

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519980

1868

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076519998

1869

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520004

1870

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.30000093881211

1871

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520012

1872

Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520020
Jul-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520038

1873

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520046
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000716011

1874

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520053
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000716029

1875

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000716037

1876

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520061
Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.a0008469736

1877

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520079
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715930

1878

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520087
Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034492961

1879

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520095
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715955

1880

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101041479179
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715963

1881

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520103

1882

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520111
Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.30000041646211

1883

Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034538771
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520129

1884

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520137

1885

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520145

1886

Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520152
Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034538904
Jul-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520160
Jul-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715906

1887

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715914
Jul-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715922

1888

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520178

1889

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076520186
Jan-Jun   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.32000000715823

1890

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034538870

1891

Jan-Dec   https://hdl.handle.net/2027/iau.31858034538888

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Frequently Asked Questions About Peterson’s Magazine

What was Peterson’s Magazine?

Peterson’s Magazine was a popular American women’s periodical published in Philadelphia during the 19th century. It covered fashion, needlework, household subjects, literature, illustrations, and other material intended for its female readership.

Today, surviving issues provide a fascinating primary source for studying Victorian fashion, historical sewing, women’s history, and 19th-century domestic life.

When was Peterson’s Magazine published?

Peterson’s Magazine was published during much of the 19th century, from the 1840s through the 1890s. The free online volumes I have located so far and included in this index cover 1848 through 1891.

Where can I read Peterson’s Magazine online for free?

Many original volumes have been digitized by libraries and archival collections and can be read online at no charge. The year-by-year index above gathers the free digitized copies I have located into one place to make them easier for researchers to find.

Is this a complete Peterson’s Magazine archive?

No. This is an ongoing research project rather than a complete digital collection. Some years have been easier to locate than others, and additional issues may become available as libraries continue digitizing their collections.

Whenever I locate additional freely accessible volumes, I can add them to the index.

Did Peterson’s Magazine include fashion plates?

Yes. Fashion was an important part of Peterson’s Magazine, and issues included fashion plates and other illustrations showing contemporary clothing and accessories.

These images can be particularly useful to historical costumers because they provide a contemporary view of fashionable dress rather than a later interpretation of the period.

Did Peterson’s Magazine include sewing patterns?

Yes. Peterson’s included patterns for garments as well as needlework and fancywork projects. Period advertisements for the magazine specifically promoted patterns for dresses, mantillas, children’s clothing, caps, bonnets and headdresses, along with embroidery, crochet, knitting and other forms of decorative needlework.

Historical patterns can be very different from the commercial sewing patterns we use today, however. They may require scaling, interpretation, fitting, and an understanding of period garment construction.

Is Peterson’s Magazine useful for researching Victorian clothing?

Absolutely. Peterson’s can be a valuable primary source for researching 19th-century fashion. Fashion plates, garment illustrations, patterns, and written fashion descriptions can provide evidence about silhouettes, sleeves, necklines, trims, accessories, hairstyles, children’s clothing, and other elements of period dress.

As with any fashion magazine, remember that these illustrations generally represented fashionable ideals rather than everything worn by every woman. For serious historical research, they are best considered alongside photographs, surviving garments, advertisements, letters, diaries, and other period sources.

How was Peterson’s Magazine different from Godey’s Lady’s Book?

Both were influential 19th-century American women’s magazines and both included fashion, needlework, literature, illustrations, and domestic material.

For today’s historical researcher, the real advantage is not necessarily choosing one over the other. Looking at both publications can provide a broader picture of the fashions and interests being presented to American women during the same period.

Why are some years or issues missing from this index?

Historical magazines survive unevenly, and digitized copies are scattered among different libraries and collections. Some volumes may not yet have been digitized, while others can be difficult to locate.

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If you know of a freely accessible digitized issue or volume of Peterson’s Magazine that isn’t included above, please let me know. I’d love to continue expanding this resource for other historical fashion researchers and sewers.

Happy researching—and happy sewing!