"The Ladies' Home Journal" and its founder Cyrus H. K. Curtis are often praised for establishing significant and lasting standards of reputable advertising in the United States. These standards include banning the profitable but offensive advertising of patent medicines, vouching for the integrity of advertising contained in the magazine, eliminating heavy black masses of typography from advertising, and encouraging large space display advertisements. A systematic examination of a sample of "Journal" issues published between 1886 and 1919 was conducted to determine whether the magazine deserved the credits often attributed to it and whether it faithfully adhered to the standards it supposedly set. The findings showed that, with only minor exceptions, the "Journal" did institute and abide by the standards it has been credited with using. It was not clear, however, whether Curtis established advertising reforms as a result of foresight, wisdom, and altruism, or as a result of being quick to recognize and fulfill the wishes of his readers. (Author/RL)