Celebrating Outdoor Life’s 125th Anniversary
OUTDOOR LIFE turns 125 this year. We’ve put together an ambitious digital edition that combines iconic stories and images from our archive with modern reporting and feature stories that look to the future of outdoor sports and conservation in America.
But on any notable birthday, it’s worth reflecting before looking forward. When J.A. McGuire founded this magazine in 1898, Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were fighting the Spanish in Cuba. Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii were all still territories. Bicycling was the hot new outdoor trend (as seen on our original cover). The .30/06 Springfield was yet to be developed, and color printing wouldn’t become mainstream for a few more decades.
The inaugural cover of Outdoor Life, published 125 years ago in January 1898.
In other words, times were different. But in his first editor’s letter, McGuire outlined a mission and attitude that are still the heartbeat of Outdoor Life today:
“For the publication of what we intend shall be a perfect sportsmen’s magazine in every sense of the term, there is surely no apology necessary. We propose to represent and reflect the interests of every devotee of outdoor life and its attendant sports and recreations as well as those tradesmen who cater to and supply their demands, not only in our own unequalled local territory, but throughout the great West.”
The archival stories we’re republishing in this issue capture McGuire’s sentiments. We’ve published several stories by and about Theodore Roosevelt, but the one we chose for this issue is by McGuire himself, written after the two met in 1901. From there we included stories about other icons—Buffalo Bill, Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, and Ernest Hemingway—and ended the collection with one of our own: Jack O’Connor.
Looking forward now, you’ll find that OL is more similar to its past than you might have guessed. We remain unapologetic—perhaps you’ve read stories by our shooting editor (“Two Rifles for the Ages, Chambered in .35 Whelen”)?—and our intention is still to deliver a perfect sportsmen’s magazine, albeit a digital one.
Looking forward now, you’ll find that OL is more similar to its past than you might have guessed. We remain unapologetic—perhaps you’ve read stories by our shooting editor (“Two Rifles for the Ages, Chambered in .35 Whelen”)?—and our intention is still to deliver a perfect sportsmen’s magazine, albeit a digital one.
A skilled hunter, dedicated conservationist, and advocate for ethical practices. Respected in the hunting community, he balances human activity with environmental preservation.