History of Magazine Covers

Early Covers - 1700s - 1890s
These covers mostly had words on the front. Some just started with an article right away like a newspaper, while others merely had the title and publisher info like a book. Some covers starting using illustrations but they were merely decorative. The covers never had any information about the contents, and only sometimes had symbolic images to convey a mood or idea about what was inside.

Poster Covers - 1890s-1960s
Single large, detailed images began to be used for magazine covers. Often they did not reveal anything about the contents but only expressed a theme. Occasionally cover lines were used to describe the major contents, but only in the empty space above or beneath the large image. These images were all paintings and artwork until 1936 when they started using photographs and portraits.

Marrying Pictures and Type - 1900s
During the 1900s covers starting integrating the images they showed and the words that gave information. The type became a part of the artwork, sometimes part of the picture overlapped the title or logo. Cover lines were used within the art piece and the font and color was used to make them fit in. The images of people became more unusual and expressive and th cover lines became more attention-grabbing.

Forest of Words - 1930s-present
Cover lines and attention-grabbing article headlines take priority on the cover. The contents of the magazine were presented informatively and excitingly. Cover lines and pictures overlap eachother to work together. Typography became just as important as the cover image itself, as covers try to keep up with the world of consumerism and immediate information.