Editing Cyrus Curtis (section)

== The Curtis Publishing Company ==

The Curtis Publishing Company's growth made it one of America's largest publishers, its magazines reaching combined circulations in the millions while its advertising revenues supported operations that employed thousands. The company's Philadelphia headquarters, designed to evoke Independence Hall, demonstrated Curtis's commitment to the city even as his publications reached national audiences. The building's construction near Washington Square placed publishing at the center of Philadelphia's civic identity.<ref name="tebbel"/>

His business innovations, particularly in advertising, transformed how publishers understood their enterprise. His investment in circulation, accepting subscription losses that advertising revenues would eventually recoup, recognized that readers were the product publishers sold to advertisers rather than merely the customers who purchased magazines. This understanding, obvious in retrospect but revolutionary at the time, enabled investments in content and distribution that competitors could not match.<ref name="cohn"/>

His Philadelphia loyalty, maintained despite the magazine industry's concentration in New York, kept major publishing employment in a city that might otherwise have lost it. The Curtis Building's workforce, the printing facilities, and the related enterprises all contributed to Philadelphia's economy while his personal philanthropy supported the city's cultural institutions. His donations to the Philadelphia Orchestra and other organizations reflected belief that commercial success obligated cultural support.<ref name="tebbel"/>