About H&E

H&E naturist (originally Health and Efficiency) is the world’s leading monthly commercial magazine focusing on the naturist and nudist lifestyle. Its regular articles and columns focus largely on travel, health and culture, as well as various features on arts and books with a naked theme.

H&E is edited by Paul Rouse, and published by Hawk Editorial Ltd, based in Hull, East Yorkshire, and run by Sam Hawcroft, who edited the magazine from 2008-2022.

H&E prides itself on its rich history – indeed, there can be few magazines that have been in print for longer. It was first published as Vim in 1902, and subsequently Health & Vim, becoming Health & Efficiency in 1918. In those very early days, the magazine covered health topics such as diet, exercise, herbalism and general advice on living a healthy lifestyle and making your body work more efficiently.1921-cover

In the 1930s, when nudists began publicising their activities and sun clubs began to form, Health & Efficiency became an early champion of their cause through publishing their letters, articles and photos. Later, this material occupied a greater proportion of the magazine, particularly as it absorbed other naturist and health periodicals, including Sunbathing and Health Magazine.

1947-March-coverAfter the Second World War, nudism experienced a massive expansion and the monthly H&E – as it became known – was in pole position in promoting the nudist lifestyle. Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, H&E’s reputation as the “nudist bible” grew. H&E’s audience was made up of nudists who were members of British clubs and those who used British beaches. A small minority who were lucky enough to be able to afford holidays abroad, and sampled the delights of French and Yugoslavian nudist facilities, provided H&E with the first “naturists abroad” travel reports.

This was a hint of things to come, for, by the 1970s, cheaper foreign travel allowed many more British naturists to visit the south of France, Spain, Greece and Yugoslavia. H&E reflected this change and soon became an international naturist magazine providing news, travel reports, features and photography from around the naturist world.1961-April-cover

In 2014, H&E acquired the archive of ex-editor Murray Wren, including hundreds of naturist images available for licence, some of which are available for sale as downloads and prints at the Murray Wren Archive.

The magazine has had a number of publishers and editors, and has been based in London, Epsom and Goole, before moving to its current home in Hull in 2012.