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nostalgia
June 4, 2015

Revisit Spare Rib, the Most Irreverent Women’s Magazine

By Erica Schwiegershausen

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Last week, the British Library announced that all 239 editions of Spare Rib — the U.K. women’s magazine that charted the grassroots feminist movement for over two decades — are now archived and available to read online. Co-founded by Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe in 1972, the monthly magazine was committed to representing the diverse aims of the Women’s Liberation Movement — from abortion and maternity rights to sex work. Funny, irreverent, and impressive in its scope, the publication pioneered the juxtaposition of stories about issues like domestic violence, racism, and police brutality next to features on hair removal and menstruation.

The title comes from a biblical joke about Eve having been fashioned out of Adam’s rib, and captured the magazine’s tongue-in-cheek, subversive tone. The monthly, which folded in 1993, featured articles by writers like Germaine Greer, Alice Walker, and bell hooks, and was known for its bold content and controversial covers (printed in only two colors to save money), which often featured cover lines like “Men: Some Women Do Have Them,” “The Sanitary Protection Racket,” and “Emancipated Sexuality — A Reality?” Click through the slideshow for a look back at the most iconic, provocative, and funny covers from the magazine’s 21-year-run.

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1 / 28 Photos
July, 1972  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
August, 1973  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
October, 1973  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
June, 1974  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
August, 1976  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
December, 1977  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
February, 1977  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
January, 1978  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
April, 1979  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
May, 1979  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
February, 1980  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
September, 1980  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
February, 1981  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
March, 1981  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
September, 1981  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
September, 1982  Photo: Courtesy of Spare Rib Magazine
March, 1984 
August, 1984 
June, 1985 
February, 1986 
April, 1986 
January, 1987 
February, 1987 
February, 1990 
October, 1990 
July, 1991 
June, 1992 
December, 1992 
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Tags:

  • gallery
  • women's liberation movement
  • spare rib
  • magazines
  • feminism
  • slideshow
  • nostalgia
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