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# Revisiting Retro Magazine Covers
Esquire 1962 - 1972 as an Art Exhibit

By Bianca | Published 2008-04-28 | Pop Culture
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/revisiting-retro-magazine-covers-esquire-1962-1972-as-an-art-exhibit
References: [nytimes](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/arts/design/27mcgr.html?th&emc=th)

For 10 years, George Lois was the photographer responsible for every single cover of Esquire Magazine. From 1962 to 1972, the talented photographer created an array of different covers, 92 to be exact. "Many of Mr. Lois's covers were controversial, not so say irreverent or deliberately provocative," the [New York Times](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wordle-game-show) says.

31 of these covers are currently on display at the [Museum of Modern Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mattel-2), an exhibition that opened this Friday. "There on the wall, neatly mounted instead of just torn out and stuck up with tape, are Tricky Dick having lipstick applied, L.B.J. holding a Hubert Humphrey dummy, Andy Warhol drowning in a Campbell's soup can, Muhammad Ali posing as St. Sebastian and a grinning Lt. William Calley, the leader of the massacre at My Lai, with four Vietnamese children," the NY Times says. Lois is the man behind the chimpanzee Xerox ads and worked on projects for Lean Cuisine, Maypo, [MTV](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dumbgood) and created VW's "Think Small" campaign.

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 1.5/10
- Popularity: 31% | Activity: 6% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women
- Primary generations: Millennial
- Top markets: North America, Europe

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture)

## Key Themes

### What Makes This Trend Stand Out

- **Retro Magazine Covers:** There is a growing interest in revisiting and appreciating retro magazine covers as an art form.
- **Controversial Cover Designs:** Controversial and provocative magazine cover designs are gaining attention and creating buzz in the industry.
- **Photographers as Artists:** Photographers like George Lois are being recognized as artists for their innovative and creative magazine cover designs.

### Sectors Adopting This

- **Art Exhibitions:** Art exhibitions are embracing the display of retro magazine covers as a unique and visually captivating form of art.
- **Advertising and Marketing:** The advertising and marketing industry can draw inspiration from the controversial and provocative magazine cover designs to create impactful campaigns.
- **Photography:** The photography industry can benefit from recognizing photographers as artists and promoting their innovative cover designs as valuable artistic creations.

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