While visiting an antique shop in North Carolina I discovered an old copy of Sunshine Magazine. This has turned into the latest Nostalgic Rambler obsession and it was mighty time to do another blog so here's the low down on Sunshine Magazine.
It was started by a man named Henry F. Henrichs who at first used it to promote his business which was bringing buyers and sellers of newspapers together.
Henry Henrichs
The magazine featured light reading with lots of positive upbeat stories, riddles, and points to ponder. By the 1950s thousands of subscribers were on the mailing list.
The magazine covers and line drawings often pictured "The House of Sunshine" on them as well as Ganymede the shepherd boy. The House of Sunshine was the actual place Henrichs was headquartered in, located in Litchfield, Illinois. Highly stylized for the magazine covers and often pictured in different surroundings depending on the issue, the House of Sunshine became a tourist attraction in Litchfield and the magazines often featured praises from visitors. The building housed a library, interesting murals and art work, and a state of the art (for the time) music system. Organ concerts were often hosted for the visitors and a fountain outside lit up the place at night.
The House of Sunshine was extolled by its employees as a wonderful place to work. Mr. Henrichs published many magazines in a similar vein for various businesses to use. He also published books.
I found a biography written in the late 1950s about this publishing empire and it is a great read.
These monthly magazines brought a lot of pleasure to people. At the end of the year they were bound into 12 issue beautiful books and that is what I found at the antique store...and I have found a few more since then. The positive stories are fun to read and nothing is copyrighted in them....so I can use them on the Christian radio station I run.
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Sunshine Magazine (or "magazet" as Henrichs called it) put Litchfield on the map...but it has long been defunct. What happened? The internet doesn't say much of anything about this one time very successful magazine and its amazing publisher. Henrichs later purchased a plot of land in Litchfield and called it Sunshine Park. I found it on the map and it looks like a Christian organization owns it and has a House of Sunshine Coffee Shop there now. I have contacted them to see if they have any info on the original House of Sunshine .........
Litchfield has a historical museum on old Route 66 but no info on their website about Sunshine Magazine or the House of Sunshine either.
For fun I am going to try to resurrect some of the Sunshine Magazine/House of Sunshine material on Facebook. Look for www.facebook.com/Sunshinemagazet for the postings. I couldn't use Sunshinemagazine or Houseofsunshine as they were taken, but apparently nobody except Mr. Henrichs took to the name of magazet for his very interesting life's work!
After doing some more research, I obtained the 1965 volume of magazines...and was saddened to hear that the original House of Sunshine building burned down! Here's a magazine quote:
"When the construction of the original House of Sunshine in 1940 had assumed recognizable proportions, it seemed a bit of Heaven had dropped down in the midst of the little city of Litchfield, Illinois. The populace was aflutter, not knowing, however, that the symbol of the new creation had already far outreached the local aspirations. Hordes of people came from the countryside and neighboring towns and villages daily and nightly to see the uncommon appointments of the new creation, and view its picturesque fountains and lightings. Then came visitors from far and near, and tourists detoured hundreds of miles to see the marvelous House of Sunshine....
Howbeit, the vision of grandeur was quickly quenched for the House of Sunshine in the great fire of October 30, 1964. A massive
catastrophe!"
I don't have any info after 1965 yet but that is why it looks like the current coffeehouse site might be the "new" site, as the House of Sunshine obviously continued.
Thanks to Sarah
Waggoner
Tourism
Coordinator -- City of Litchfield for responding to my information request
Jeff, every word here about H.F. Henrichs, Sunshine Magazine, and the House of Sunshine is absolutely true! Thank you for keeping their memory alive. I worked for them after high school in last half of 1964 and continued until the end of 1965. Began with outdoor yard work and office cleanup, then later as a printers devil. The building was the embodiment and passion of H. F. and every bit as enchanting as your posted articles. While working for them I purchased the book of their history and many other books that they offered for sale at the time through the magazine. Also in my collection are the bound editions of Sunshine Magazine from 1943-1963, 21 volumes. On occasion I look through one and still enjoy reading their content. The writings are as pertinent today as they were when first published.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your blog, JimW.
Thanks Jim, hope you can join the House of Sunshine Facebook page I run....I hope to have all 21 volumes too one of these days.
DeleteI have a small booklet with six poems, front cover "Because of You" signed by Caroline Mcelveen. Back inscription, "Done in profound respect and friendly harmony at the House of Sunshine. The Sunshine Press, Litchfield, Illinois..
ReplyDeleteThank you for all you are doing. I loved this magazine and had delivered to my house when I was in my 20s. I am 66 now. I have two issuesfrom 1984. March and September. Love reading the upbeat stories and poetry etc. So sad when I couldn't find it anymore. I will join your Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI have a small booklet of poems - Just Because It’s Christmas “joyfully made by The Sunshine Folks.” No date. Names of Elsie and Carl E. Kleimola on title page so perhaps they had made for Christmas card or gift. I bought at antique mall in Michigan. Now nice to know the history of the company, since I was raised in Iowa. Sure wish the original building still in Litchfield to be able to visit.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I also live in the past. I love the late 20s-30s. I sure do love Sunshine Magazine. So terribly much, I do.Thank you and please stay safe. I would love to hear back from you.I am Joyce,Ken's wife.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Litchfield, IL for a long time,and will always consider it my hometown,I can tell you alot about the first House Of Sunshine ,as I played there many times around the magical miniature buildi they had integrated among the winding little fountains in front.My parents were good friends of the Prast family who had much to do with it,I believe Mrs Prast was the daughter of the famous Mr Henrichs. I would love to relive some of the great memories I have with anyone interested in speaking about the House of Sunshine I have many booklets also
ReplyDeleteIf these magazines were digitized for InternetArchive.org , that would be a great thing. I see they don't have any at the moment. I don't know about the process, but I have a few copies and will look into it. I would love to share my copies, by photographing them. I'm not handing them off, though, as they're a treasure. My grandparents gave them to me.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents had old copies of Sunshine Magazine. I now hold them as treasures of a bygone era. The contents are classic- they speak across generations. Would that such a publication were still in wide circulation. I read about other book publications of the House of Sunshine but as of yet, have not been able to find one available, except for the biographical book about the history of the publication.
ReplyDelete