Life (magazine)

*Life*
	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.life.com
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^[1] 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.^[2]^[3]^[4]

From 1936 to the 1960s, Life was a wide-ranging general-interest magazine known for its photojournalism.^[5] 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.^[6]

^ "Charles Dana Gibson | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
^ Brennen, Bonnie; Hardt, Hanno (1999). Picturing the past: media, history, and photography. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0252067693.
^ Kobré, Kenneth; Brill, Betsy (2017). Photojournalism: the professionals' approach (7th ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1138101364.
^ The great Life photographers (1. ed.). New York: Bulfinch Press. 2004. ISBN 978-0821228920.
^ Fernandez, Chantal (2024-03-28). "Karlie Kloss Is Relaunching Life Magazine". The Cut. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
^ Smee, Sebastian (20 October 2022). "The magazine that gave photography unprecedented power". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

[1] "Charles Dana Gibson | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-22.

[2] Brennen, Bonnie; Hardt, Hanno (1999). Picturing the past: media, history, and photography. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0252067693.

[3] Kobré, Kenneth; Brill, Betsy (2017). Photojournalism: the professionals' approach (7th ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1138101364.

[4] The great Life photographers (1. ed.). New York: Bulfinch Press. 2004. ISBN 978-0821228920.

[5] Fernandez, Chantal (2024-03-28). "Karlie Kloss Is Relaunching Life Magazine". The Cut. Retrieved 2024-08-22.

[6] Smee, Sebastian (20 October 2022). "The magazine that gave photography unprecedented power". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

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