Here’s a site devoted to presenting the covers of classic men’s magazines from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. I like it on a meta level because it’s tantalizing — we’ll never get to see what’s inside the magazines — in the same way that they must have been tantalizing on the shelf.
As cultural artifacts, I find them really interesting. They’re remarkably restrained compared to the pornography that saturates our culture these days, but there’s also a heavy emphasis on war and adventure that no longer seems to be relevant, even though there’s, you know, a war going on.
As the site’s FAQ notes, there is a vein of racism and misogyny that runs through some of these covers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate them (just as I can like Mayan and Aztec iconography, but don’t have to condone human sacrifice).
I remember reading in several author’s notes by Stephen King that his first publications were in men’s magazines like Adam, which is featured here, but I can’t find his name on any of the covers that I looked at. If anyone spots it, let me know in the comments!
Grant Hamilton
