Life magazine is truly iconic! Growing up, Life magazine was a score to find in a medical waiting room because the photos were always fabulous! A Life magazine photo that stands out as truly iconic is Alfred Eisenstaedt's "V-J Day in Times Square" in which a U.S. Navy sailor is kissing a total stranger (a dental assistant) in Times Square, published in Life Magazine in the August 27, 1945 issue. This photograph was the basis for "Unconditional Surrender," a large scale sculpture by J. Seward Johnson depicting a sailor kissing a nurse located near the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California. Sarasota and Key West Florida and Royal Oak Michigan also have copies of the sculpture. In the last couple of years, Life has published photo book collections such as "LIFE. Hollywood." Life transitioned from initially a weekly publication, to a "special issues" publication, then monthly, and then, in 2000, Life was published at irregular intervals as "special issues." read more

LIFE Magazine late of Time, Inc and Meredith Publishing had been thawed and put back on newsstands more times than Ted Williams' frozen head. Every so often someone gets the bright idea that this venerable title is a perfect vessel to bring old school photojournalism back as a contrarian novelty. LIFE as an ongoing concern hasn't seen the light of day for two decades but old Ted is poised to take another turn at bat as entrepreneur Karlie Kloss is set to revive the WWII "Greatest Generation" stalwart as a monthly print publication hoping to "unify" the country around compelling "feel good" pictorials. You know what, I've heard worse ideas. LIFE was America's picture book long before Color TV and Polaroid made images commodities... bringing Kennedy's Camelot, Vietnam and the Cold War right into our living rooms while delighting almost 14 million paying subscribers every week. Maybe the county is in desperate need of some glossy back to the future staring contest every month. At the moment details are scant but the never ending revival of this seminal print title has always fascinated me. Ted, it's time for one more frozen rope. Five cryogenic stars. read more

Life Magazine As long as I can remember I have loved this magazine. I remember my grandparents reading it and my parents! Today I was so happy to see it on sale at my Rite Aid. History Life was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, Life was a weekly general-interest magazine known for the quality of its photography. If you don't want to buy a copy I suggest you look for it at your public library. I'm a fan!! All the photos are Public Domain or I took them myself. read more

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Reading the excellent reviews by Yelp friends Marianne W. and Michael N. regarding Life brought back memories of my own admittedly haphazard "relationship" with the magazine. My family weren't regular readers, but I guess I was always aware of it. I was in grade school when I happened to see a copy of it featuring Brando in "The Godfather" and suddenly I was on fire to see "The Godfather." My parents, who had read the book, weren't really sure I was mature enough to see it, but finally relented. They were right; I wasn't mature enough (I brought 2 friends with me to see it, and we hooted appreciably...as only children on the cusp of adolescence can...during the scene where Michael's Sicilian bride unveils her breasts on their wedding night). I would find issues in the public library. My perusal of them wasn't a regular event, but I always found something interesting when I did look through back issues. The crime stories fascinated me, and I began seeking them out. After reading Capote's "In Cold Blood," I wondered whether the actual killers resembled the actors portraying them in the movie. Life had an issue that I was able to dig up that had a feature article on the book and the movie, and it turns out that they did (the article was highlighted by photographs by Richard Avedon showing the killers exposing their tattooed arms-- Perry Smith smiling like the celebrity I guess he thought he might become; Richard Hickock staring grimly into the camera with no expression; these definitely confirmed their uncanny resemblance to actors Robert Blake and Scott Wilson). I read about Charles Schmid aka The Pied Piper of Tucson, the handsome, diminutive creep who dyed his hair with shoe polish, applied "ugly" makeup to make his appearance "distinctive," and stuffed crushed tin cans into his cowboy boots to make himself appear taller. I read about Charles Whitman, the monster who looked like the all-American boy, and Richard Speck, the mass murderer with the physiognomy of the monster that he was. I read about the Charles Manson Family, attempting to understand why they killed 7 innocent victims. I didn't understand then. I still don't. As I got older, I began to purchase much older copies at a used book store in Morristown. I read about Murder Inc., and guys with monikers like Happy Maione, Pittsburgh Phil, and Kid Twist Reles. I read about the 1951 funeral of NJ mob boss Willie Moretti (my oldest friend's father was chummy with Moretti's nephew. As they were getting ready to go out 1 night, 2 young men in their prime, Moretti told them, "Stay away from the gambling, stay away from the booze, stay away from the putanas." My friend's father replied, "That's ok with me, but I'm not making any promises about the putanas." Moretti stared at them for a minute, and then angrily dismissed them, saying, "Ah, get the hell outa here!"). It wasn't only the crime stories. One issue had photos of the total nbr. of American servicemen dead in Vietnam for 1 week. That issue still haunts me. Some of the advertisements from the 30s, 40s, and 50s were fascinating, even silly in a delightfully antediluvian way. Even during the 80s, when Life was slowing down, they could provide exceptionally moving stories. They did an article on Seattle's homeless youth, with photos by Mary Ellen Mark (she released her own book on the subject, as well as a movie, which I highly recommend), and it has stayed with me. On a more personal note, I came across an article on pregnant teens, and the giving up for adoption of their babies. At that point, I hadn't been contacted by my birth mother, and only knew that my genetic parents had been teenagers, and there had been a delay in the adoption because they wanted to get married and raise me, until my maternal grandfather quashed that idea. One photo really resonated with me. It showed a teen father looking through a window at his infant son, and the caption was, "Father Takes Last Look At His Son." My reunion didn't happen until many years later, and my birth father was dead by that point. By all accounts, he was a good guy...and in his best photos he looks like a young Robert Goulet or the actor Robert Walker...who became a successful lawyer until alcohol caught up with him. Alcohol and cigarettes ended his life much too soon. (I can't watch Paul Newman in "The Verdict" without thinking about him. Not that that's his life story, but there are parallels.) Ironically, although he was married more than once (never to my birth mother), he never had any other kids. When I now see the monthly "Special Issues" of Life at the supermarket, devoted entirely to the Sopranos, or Princess Di...it's not those issues, or those subjects, that affect me. It's the memory of that photo of the teen taking a last look at the son he was never going to know. Life wasn't a perfect publication, and it's far less than that in its current incarnation, but at its best, it left its indelible, often haunting, memories. read more

for me life magazine is about the front cover which has been a big part of american culture . from entertainment, sports, music, art, local and international events , etc, life magazine has captured some of the worlds iconic events and stories as i still have my copy with john lennon that came out after his tragic murder. its now publish once a month if i am correct as with social media crap now its most likely not as popular as it once was but whenever i am at walmart , walgreens , cvs,etc, i dont hesitate to grab a copy and read whats going on the our wonderful world. life magazine thank you . read more