The magazine cover has always been a formidable selling tool. Far more than in any other form of printed media, it is the cover that sells. Today, more than a century since the first boom for mass-market magazines, it is possible to look back and see how the magazine cover provided the canvas for some of the world's greatest directors, but also it has created lasting icons, from Richard Nixon on the cover of Time to Muhammad Ali's depiction as a martyr for Esquire.
Magazine Covers is an unparalleled survey of the best of British, American, and European magazine and periodical cover designs in the 20th and 21st centuries, from Man about Town to Dazed and Confused. Representative examples of the very best covers are chosen by design expert David Crowley to explain the methodology, motivations, and aims of the art directors and their designers, and to show how magazine covers are closely linked to the social and political events of the times. Thematic chapters explore prevalent trends occurring throughout magazine history including the high profile of illustrations, from late 19th-century satire magazines to the present day; photojournalism and the response to current affairs; and celebrities and popular culture.
With over 300 illustrations of popular and more avant-garde examples, Magazine Covers is a social and cultural history, presenting a unique documentation of the history of the medium - required reading for all design students, designers, and vintage magazine collectors.