History of Popular Culture » Week 2, Assignment 2

In looking for covers from Life magazine, I specifically sought images that depicted certain areas of life at the time and common thought. It was interesting to see what was important at the time the magazine was printed.

In the earlier set of photos, images of American accompishments, political figures, war heroes, movie stars, and family figures all appeared. A boy playing marbles, Franklin Roosevelt, railroads: all the images reflect elements of then-current events. As can be expected, the images of the earlier set emphasized patriotism much more than the more recent photos, undoubtedly due to World War II's effects on America as a whole.

Today's covers were not quite as diverse, but still I could see the editors' efforts to bring the rich qualities of the American life to their magazine--vacationing, new vehicle designs, transporting King Tut's sarcophogus.

In both sets of pictures, I could see that there was also a small effort made to honor American heritage. In the earlier set, a play featuring an actor posing as Abraham Lincoln appeared, commemorating one of our past presidents. In the newer set, a photo of a boy with his horse, which he rides through the streets of his town speaks of the desire to go back to a simpler way of life. Even in the newer set, I can see elements of combining elements of stardom and family life, such as the story featuring Beyoncé and her mother.

Picture story

Then

Now