‘The Land Girl’ Covers: February

The first editions of The Land Girl magazine included an illustration which occupied a significant proportion of the front page. These illustrations were larger than later editions, where the illustrations were to incorporate The Land Girl title. For February, we have two title pages from 1941 and in 1947. Unfortunately, I’m not aware who illustrated the 1941 edition, but regular contributor Audrey Wakeford (40839) drew the 1947 image. The 1941 silhouette is particularly striking in highlighting the Land Girl’s body, drawing on tropes from the period to indicate femininity, such as the wasp-waist. Wakeford’s 1947 illustration shows a Land Girl using a scythe, possibly on a flax plant (which was later manufactured into linen) or weeds. Whereas the 1941 illustration is somewhat posed, Wakeford’s drawing focuses on the physicality required of Land Girls in farming.