Virolet

Virolet was a Catalan-language children's weekly magazine launched in January 1922 as a supplement to En Patufet. It belonged to the same publishing operation as En Patufet, associated with the Josep Bagunyà bookshop and publishing house in Barcelona. The magazine was aimed at young children and combined illustrated texts, short stories, jokes, and adaptations of well-known works of world literature. Its format was compact and consistent: each issue contained eight pages and measured approximately 300 by 210 millimetres. The magazine's principal writer and administrator was Cardenal Casañas. Its contributors included a number of prominent Catalan writers, among them Josep Carner, Apel·les Mestres, Joaquim Ruyra, Martínez i Ferrandо, Carles Soldevila, Clovis Eimeric, and Josep Maria Folch i Torres. The visual side of the publication was supported by illustrators including Junceda i Cornet, Lola Anglada, and Josep Serra i Massana. This combination of literary contributions and accessible illustration reflected the period's Catalan children's publishing culture, in which magazines served both as entertainment and as a vehicle for reading development. Virolet was initially printed by E. i J. Solà at premises on Valencia Street in Barcelona. From 1924 onward, production moved to a printing establishment operated by Josep Bagunyà on Muntaner Street. The magazine was sold as individual issues and through subscriptions, making it part of a regular periodical relationship with families rather than a one-off children's book market. Contemporary publication information recorded a subscription price of 5.50 pesetas and an individual issue price of 0.10 pesetas, although these historical prices are not treated here as current financial data. The magazine ceased publication on 3 January 1931, nine years after its launch, after 469 issues. Its closure coincided with the appearance of Esquitx, another children's magazine from the same publishing operation as En Patufet. Virolet is therefore best understood as a now-defunct periodical brand within the wider Catalan children's publishing ecosystem, rather than as a continuing consumer-goods or corporate brand. Digitised copies are available through the ARCA portal, the archive of historical Catalan magazines.

Virolet emerged in January 1922 within the publishing environment surrounding En Patufet, a major Catalan periodical title. Rather than operating as an independent modern corporation, it functioned as a children's magazine and supplement issued by the same publishing operation associated with the Josep Bagunyà bookshop and publishing house in Barcelona. Its intended readership was young children, and its editorial approach combined literary material with drawing, humour, and short, readily accessible pieces. The magazine's content included illustrated texts, short stories, jokes, and adaptations of famous works from world literature. These adaptations were presented with substantial illustration, helping translate well-known narratives into a format suitable for younger readers. The publication also drew on a notable group of Catalan literary and artistic collaborators. Writers associated with the magazine included Josep Carner, Apel·les Mestres, Joaquim Ruyra, Martínez i Ferrando, Carles Soldevila, Clovis Eimeric, and Josep Maria Folch i Torres. Illustrators included Junceda i Cornet, Lola Anglada, and Josep Serra i Massana. Cardenal Casañas served as the principal writer and administrator, linking the magazine's editorial and operational functions. Virolet's physical format was established as an eight-page issue measuring approximately 300 by 210 millimetres. In its early period, E. i J. Solà in Barcelona handled printing at an address on Valencia Street. In 1924, the production process moved to a printing house on Muntaner Street operated by Josep Bagunyà. This change connected the magazine's manufacturing more directly with the publishing house responsible for its distribution and editorial production. The magazine was available both by subscription and as an individual issue. Historical publication information gives a subscription cost of 5.50 pesetas and a single-issue price of 0.10 pesetas. These details indicate a low-cost, recurring publishing model directed at families and children, although the surviving reference material does not provide circulation, revenue, or subscriber figures. Virolet continued for nine years and published 469 issues in total. Its final issue appeared on 3 January 1931. The end of the title coincided with the birth of Esquitx, another children's magazine produced by the same publishing operation as En Patufet. The transition suggests a change in the publisher's children's-magazine portfolio, but the available reference material does not explain the commercial or editorial reasons for the replacement. The title is now defunct, but its historical record remains accessible through digitised copies in the ARCA Portal, an archive of antique Catalan magazines. Virolet's significance lies in its contribution to early twentieth-century Catalan children's publishing: it brought together established writers, specialist illustrators, literary adaptation, and regular periodical distribution in a format designed specifically for young readers.

• 1931

  Publication ends

  [1]Viroleten.wikipedia.org

  Virolet disappeared on 3 January 1931 after 469 issues, coinciding with the emergence of Esquitx from the same publishing operation.

• 1924

  Printing moves to Josep Bagunyà's establishment

  [1]Viroleten.wikipedia.org

  Production moved from E. i J. Solà's printing premises on Valencia Street to a Josep Bagunyà printing house on Muntaner Street in Barcelona.

• 1922

  Launch as an En Patufet supplement

  [1]Viroleten.wikipedia.org

  Virolet began publication in January 1922 as a children's weekly supplement to En Patufet.

A Catalan children's periodical offering accessible illustrated fiction, literary adaptations, humour, and short-form reading for young children.

• Children's periodical · 1922

  Virolet weekly magazine

  The core product was an eight-page weekly magazine measuring approximately 300 by 210 millimetres. It contained illustrated texts, short stories, jokes, and adaptations of famous works of world literature, supported by contributions from Catalan writers and illustrators. The magazine was sold as individual issues and through subscriptions.

• 1931

  End Virolet alongside the launch of EsquitxStrategy

  Background

  After nine years of publication, the children's magazine reached its final issue on 3 January 1931.

  Action taken

  The publisher discontinued Virolet as another children's magazine from the same publishing operation, Esquitx, came into existence.

  Aftermath

  Virolet became a historical, defunct periodical title.

  Source

• 1924

  Bring printing in-houseStrategy

  Background

  Virolet was initially printed by E. i J. Solà in Barcelona, while the magazine was associated with the Josep Bagunyà publishing operation.

  Action taken

  From 1924, printing was transferred to a Josep Bagunyà printing establishment on Muntaner Street.

  Aftermath

  The magazine continued publication until January 1931, reaching a total of 469 issues.

  Source

1. 1Viroleten.wikipedia.org
2. 2ARCA Portalarca.bnc.cat