PEOPLE’s first-ever issue was released 50 years ago today, and to kick off the celebration, PEOPLE announced that it will partner with international photography musemFotografiska New Yorkto launchthe magazine’s first-ever museum exhibition.
TitledPEOPLE: Celebrating 50 Years, the exhibit will open in New York City on May 9, 2024, and feature archival covers, multimedia elements and interactive opportunities for visitors to turn themselves into a PEOPLE cover star.
From the very beginning of PEOPLE magazine, arresting photography has been at the core of its purpose, with PEOPLE’s first prospectus declaring that “dramatic images should make turning the pages irresistible.”
Some of the greatest photographers in the last century — including Martin Schoeller, Ben Watts, Yu Tsai, Cass Bird, Elinor Carucci and Art Streiber (who is creating the 50th Special Issue cover) — have contributed to the magazine.
The inaugural letter from the editors, published in March 1974, declared that PEOPLE would aimed to “reflect the times … We want PEOPLE to be a magazine that is fun to pick up and both easy and worthwhile to read—page after page, cover to cover,” the editors wrote. “We don’t want readers to put PEOPLE aside until they’ve got the time, because that extra time so often fails to arrive.”
The editors continued, “We aim to be the indispensable guide to those millions of aware Americans who cheerfully acknowledge that what interests them most is other people.”
“The history of PEOPLE is a microcosm of the changes that have happened in pop culture over the past 50 years,” said Sophie Wright, executive director of Fotografiska New York. “At the heart of this story is photography, and we are delighted to collaborate on this exhibition that celebrates the images that have defined PEOPLE and brought its human centered storytelling to life.”
“We are excited to show the brand’s evolution as we continue to innovate and lead the pop culture conversation on all platforms. I can’t wait for everyone to enjoy this immersive, multimedia experience at Fotografiska,” says Wendy Naugle, editor in chief of PEOPLE.
To purchase tickets,click here.
source: people.com
