Nation Magazine Cover Archive

You could speculate on a bevy of reasons, from a new age of conservatism to a shrinking audience in face of a digital alternative, for what Nation Magazine Cover Archive sees as a decline in quality print magazine covers as endeared titles are disappearing. They’re doing something about it, by archiving the covers from their favorite magazines as exemplars of the extraordinary, to remind us all that cover art indeed once upon a time was just that "” art. From a list of about 20 publications, they showcase Dazed and Confused Japan for its edgy photography, Thrasher for pioneering the DIY look in publishing and old issues of Esquire, which surprisingly used to be a lot more imaginative compared to today (“Shame,” the website berates). Mad and Harper’s Bazaar also are there. While you’re at the site, check out the beginning Index covers, which stood uninterrupted by annoying cover slugs "” a pretty ballsy move at the time that apparently didn’t affect its rise. Seems like you can judge something by only looking at its cover…