Life (magazine)
Cover of the issue from September 21, 1911 | |
| Editor | George Cary Eggleston |
|---|---|
| Former editors | Robert E. Sherwood |
| Categories | Humor, general interest |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Publisher | Clair Maxwell (1921–1942) |
| Total circulation (1920) | 250,000 |
| First issue | January 4, 1883 November 18, 2008 (online supplement) |
| Final issue | 2000 (print) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | New York City, U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 0024-3019 |
Life (stylized as LIFE) is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, Life has irregularly published "special" issues.
Originally published from 1883 to 1936 as a general-interest and humor publication, it featured contributions from many important writers, illustrators and cartoonists of its time, such as Charles Dana Gibson and Norman Rockwell. In 1936, Henry Luce purchased the magazine, and relaunched it as the first all-photographic American news magazine. Its place in the history of photojournalism is considered one of its most important contributions to the world of publishing.
From 1936 to the 1960s, Life was a wide-ranging general-interest magazine known for its photojournalism. During this period, it was one of the most popular magazines in the United States, with its circulation regularly reaching a quarter of the U.S. population.