A Life and a Story
Remember Life Magazine?
I remember thumbing through some of those oversized publications with their glossy photos whenever I’d visit my grandparents, and I even bought a few of the older magazines at a yard sale, just so I could see what they were like.
I liked seeing a little slice in time, with all those ads from the early 1960s, and the news stories of the day. I even had the iconic Lee Harvey Oswald cover issue, although I’m not sure what happened to that. Maybe I sold it when I sold a bunch of my old comic books.
Life went way back before that, though. The first issue came out in November of 1936.
Right away, the magazine was different from what was out there. Life told a story through pictures, emphasizing visual storytelling at a time when everyone else was using images to compliment the text. This differentiator quickly made the magazine a national favorite, and other publications took note, gradually adopting a similar style.
There’s something notable about Life’s first issue in particular.
On page 13, there’s a curious photo of a newborn baby during the first few moments of life. He’s in the delivery room, held partially upside down by the doctor, who is surrounded by equipment and staff wearing PPE.
At the bottom of this photo, it says, “Life Begins”, and the caption explains that the newborn has just had his umbilical cord cut. It describes the scene a bit:
Then, for a second or two, the child hung back and unbreathing between the two lives. Its blood circulated and its heart beat only on the impetus given by its mother. Suddenly the baby's new and independent life begins.
This baby’s name was George Story, and here’s where things get interesting. The magazine would follow up with George during his lifetime, periodically publishing updates and milestones. “Remember that baby we sort of opened with? Let’s see how he’s doing now!”
Interestingly enough, Story became a journalist in his own right. Born in the midst of journalists documenting his first moments, this seems appropriate.
Life was a weekly publication from 1936 until 1972, when it switched to an “every now and then” magazine when budgeting concerns forced their hand. Television had gradually taken center stage in American life, and a weekly publication with lots of rich photos took a great deal of effort… and money.
Still, over these ensuing decades, Life continued to follow Story, giving the public the occasional update whenever a marriage or other notable event happened.
Now, here’s where things get weird.
Time Inc (the owners of the magazine) finally announced that they would no longer publish in early 2000.
George Story died of a heart attack in April of 2000.
The final issue of Life featured George Story’s life, and how it intertwined with the magazine’s life. It was called A Life Ends.
Throughout his lifetime, Story remained very private in spite of his very public birth, and his life doesn’t seem to be all that remarkable, except for the fact that he ended up being a journalist himself.
There’s something about Story’s story—and Life’s life, for that matter—that really intrigues me. I love the idea that Story lived his life in parallel with the magazine that was there with him on day one, and I really like the idea that the publication was so public and yet Story seems to have been so private.
I feel like this describes my own life in some ways. Here I am, writing every day to more than a thousand other humans, and yet I value solitude and consider myself to be an introvert.
What do you see when you think of Story’s story, and Life’s life? Have you ever thumbed through old publications, just to see how people wrote or what folks bought back then?
Henry Luce had conceived "Life" as a photograph-based magazine to be a contrast to the text-heavy "Time". At least initially, all of his publications (which also included "Fortune", "People" and "Sports Illustrated") had very unique identities that helped them stand out in the marketplace. Now, however, that is no longer the case (Luce would be disgusted at their current states.)
One recurring feature was "Life Goes To A Party", where they would cover a social event. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra used that title for a jazz tune that they performed during their legendary Carnegie Hall concert in 1938.
While "Life" no longer functions as a magazine, it will periodically issue special glossy publications for newsstand sales, usually tying in with an event anniversary or a celebrity's death.
Well-written story, Andrew, on Story's story. Had never heard of him, and, having had something cut (I'm guessing it was my umbilical cord) in 1955, I certainly grew up with "Life," and I know we subscribed, 'cause I took several family issues into this new century with that tell-tale white address sticker affixed (upside-down, as it happens....in what I imagined, as a kid, was a nod to privacy) onto the lower-left-hand corner of the cover. Those issues had been kept because of their historical significance....moon landing, Challenger disaster, etc.
One feature I remember with fondness from the '70s was their back page, one issue. I think they called the page "One Last Look" or something similar. It was a page of many small photos. The premise was: Chronicle the travels of a one-dollar-bill. A "Life" photog specially-marked a bill, and "spent" it at some store in NYC. If it was given as change, the photog would simply follow the person wherever until the bill got spent again...and, so on! I can't tell you how I wish I could find/see that page again! That kind of minutiae and every-day happenstance/randomness fascinates me!
And, the fact that they chronicled its travels! I can't remember where it ended up, but I do think some air travel was included in the tracking! I don't even know how one would locate that issue. I've tried searching for key words that might've ID'ed that page, but I do know it'd be easier if one knew the cover story or issue date for which to search. *sigh* Well done, Andrew!