Backpacker Magazine Archive 1973-1979

Backpacker Magazine Archive 1973 – 1979

Nicole Salnikov

Backpacker Magazine Archive 1973 – 1979

Nicole Salnikov

I II III

collection 6 index 38 analysis 48

The Backpacker Magazine Archive is a printed exhibition and analysis of the first 35 magazine covers from 1973 to 1979.

The early years of publication showcased photography of the natural environment and graphic design that continues to inspire and hold relevance today.

The selected issues are presented in 1:1 scale with an index of information and analysis of visual language. The archive offers a reflection on Backpacker Magazine’s graphic design from over 40 years ago, where photographic imagery was prioritized over featured content to achieve simple, wellbalanced compositions.

I

collection

1973 Vol. I, No. I 86 pages

8

1973 Vol. I, No. II -

10

1973 Vol. I, No. III 128 pages

12

1973 Vol. I, No. IV 104 pages

14

1974 Vol. II, No. I 104 pages

16

1974 Vol. II, No. II 120 pages

18

1974 Vol. II, No. III 98 pages

20

1974 Vol. II, No. IV 90 pages

22

1975 Vol. III, No. IV 96 pages

24

1975 Vol. III, No. II 96 pages

26

1975 Vol. III, No. III 88 pages

28

1975 Vol. III, No. IV 88 pages

30

1976 Vol. IV, No. I 84 pages

32

1976 Vol. IV, No. II 86 pages

34

1976 Vol. IV, No. III 96 pages

36

1976 Vol. IV, No. IV 72 pages

38

1976 Vol. V, No. V 84 pages

40

1976 Vol. IV, No. VI 82 pages

42

1977 Vol. V, No. I 80 pages

44

1977 Vol. V, No. II 96 pages

46

1977 Vol. V, No. III 106 pages

48

1977 Vol. V, No. IV 80 pages

50

1977 Vol. V, No. V 88 pages

52

1977 Vol. V, No. VI 72 pages

54

1978 Vol. VI, No. I 80 pages

56

1978 Vol. VI, No. II 106 pages

58

1978 Vol. VI, No. III 98 pages

60

1978 Vol. VI, No. IV 86 pages

62

1978 Vol. VI, No. V 104 pages

64

1978 – 1979 Vol. VI, No. VI 88 pages

66

1979 Vol. VII, No. I 92 pages

68

1979 Vol. VII, No. II 104 pages

70

1979 Vol. VII, No. III 88 pages

72

1979 Vol. VII, No. IV 90 pages

74

1979 Vol. VII, No. V 104 pages

76

II

index

issue

date

season*

vol./no.

# of pages

author of cover image

location of cover photographs

landscape depicted

1

1973

sp

I/I

86

-

-

forest

2

1973

s

I/II

-

-

-

coastal

3

1973

f

I/III

128

Ed Cooper

-

alpine

4

1973

w

I/IV

104

Rudi Gertsch

Rocky Mountains, Canada

alpine

5

1974

sp

II/I

104

-

Mount Tullujuto, Cordillera Central Range, Peru

alpine, lake

6

1974

s

II/II

120

Dee Molenaar

Mazama Ridge, Washington

alpine

7

1974

f

II/III

98

-

-

hill

8

1974

w

II/IV

90

Thomas Henley

Algonquin Peak, Adirondacks, New York

-

9

1975

sp

III/IV

96

William Kemsley, Jr.

Utah

canyon

10

1975

s

III/II

96

James Randklev

Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park, Washington

forest

11

1975

f

III/III

88

James A. Kern

Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

forest

12

1975

w

III/IV

88

Orville E. Bach, Jr.

Shoshone Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

hill

13

1976

w

IV/I

84

Terry Young

-

alpine

14

1976

sp

IV/II

86

Peter Stanley

Lac du Grattaleu, French Alps

lake, alpine

15

1976

s

IV/III

96

Jeff Baier

Aconcagua, Argentina

alpine

16

1976

s

IV/IV

72

Kent Dannen

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

alpine

17

1976

f

V/V

84

Kent Dannen

Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

-

18

1976

w

IV/VI

82

Jim Randklev

Mount Pinos, San Bernardino National Forest, California

forest

19

1977

w

V/I

80

-

Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

coastal

20

1977

sp

V/II

96

Marlyn S. Doan

-

forest

recreation

# of figures

colors highlighted

camera angle**

special feature

logo color

logo style

logo placement

page

hike

2

red, brown

low

-

white

fill

mid-lower left

8

walk

2

beige

eye

-

white

fill

lower left

10

alpinism

1

red, blue

eye

-

white

fill

lower left

12

ski

5

black, blue

eye

-

black

fill

mid-lower left

14

hike

2

blue, beige, white

high

-

white

fill

upper left

16

hike

2

blue, green

high

only children

white

fill

upper left

18

-

1

blue, black

eye

Votes for Women

blue

fill

upper left

20

snowshoe

1

purple, pink

low

vignette style

white

fill

upper left

22

hike

1

orange, beige

high

-

white

fill

upper right

24

hike

5

green, brown, white

-

waterfall

white

fill

mid-lower left

26

hike

2

yellow, green

high

-

orange

fill

upper left

28

ski

2

blue, black

high

-

black

outline

upper left

30

ski

1

blue, yellow, red

eye

-

teal

fill

upper left

32

hike

1

blue, green

eye

-

blue

fill

mid-lower left

34

hike

1

red, blue

low

nieves penitentes

yellow

fill

middle left

36

hike

2

black, white, blue

-

-

white

fill

mid-lower left

38

ski

1

yellow, orange

eye

mountain chickadee bird

orange

fill

upper right

40

ski

1

red, brown, white

high

-

white

fill

upper left

42

camp

1

orange, yellow

eye

-

red

fill

upper left

44

hike

1

pink, yellow

high

a child backpacking

yellow

fill

upper left

46

* sp (spring), s (summer), f (fall), w (winter) ** 3 basic camera angles: eye (eye-level), low (low-angle), high (high-angle)

issue

date

season*

vol./no.

# of pages

author of cover image

location of cover photographs

landscape depicted

21

1977

s

V/III

106

Anne LaBastille

Northville-Placid Trail, Adirondacks, New York

forest

22

1977

s

V/IV

80

Sam Curtis

Gallatin Range, Montana

alpine

23

1977

f

V/V

88

Galen Rowell

Lembert Dome, Yosemite National Park, California

alpine

24

1977

w

V/VI

72

Wendell Mohling

Denali, Alaska

lake

25

1978

w

VI/I

80

Kenn Petsch

Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

canyon

26

1978

sp

VI/II

106

Beverly Byron

Garden Wall Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana

alpine

27

1978

s

VI/III

98

James Randklev

Shi-Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

coastal

28

1978

s

VI/IV

86

Franklin Jones

Berkshire Mountains, Massachusetts

forest

29

1978

f

VI/V

104

William J. Holman

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Idaho

hill

30

1978 – 1979

w

VI/VI

88

Robert Maslan

Kings Canyon National Park, California

alpine

31

1979

w

VII/I

92

William Fink

Indian Cave State Park, Nebraska

-

32

1979

sp

VII/II

104

William Kemsley, Jr.

Hermit Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

canyon

33

1979

s

VII/III

88

Ray Shepherd

Long Lake, California

alpine, lake

34

1979

s

VII/IV

90

-

Big Beaver Valley, North Cascades National Park, Washington

forest

35

1979

f

VII/V

104

-

Lyell Canyon, Yosemite National Park, California

alpine

recreation

# of figures

colors highlighted

camera angle**

special feature

logo color

logo style

logo placement

page

hike

1

yellow, red

eye

a dog companion

yellow

fill

upper left

48

alpinism

1

green, red

high

-

red

fill

mid-lower left

50

ski

1

red, blue

high

-

red

fill

upper left

52

hike

2

red, green, blue

eye

-

red

outline

upper left

54

hike

8

orange, red, blue

high

-

blue, white

hatch

upper left

56

hike

2

red, blue

eye

-

red, black

fill, outline

upper left

58

walk

2

blue, beige

high

-

blue

outline

upper left

60

hike

1

brown, yellow

low

painting

by Franklin Jones

brown

outline

lower left

62

ski

1

red, blue, white

eye

logo change; date, cost included onwards

red

outline

top justified

64

camp

1

yellow, blue

eye

-

yellow

outline

top justified

66

ski

1

blue, red, white

low

subtitle, barcode added

red

fill

top justified

68

hike

1

orange, blue

high

cost increase from $2.50 to $2.75

orange

fill

top justified

70

hike

2

orange, blue

high

-

orange

fill

top justified

72

hike

2

green, red

eye

-

red

fill

top justified

74

ski

1

black, white, red

eye

cost decrease to $1.95

black

fill

top justified

76

* sp (spring), s (summer), f (fall), w (winter) ** 3 basic camera angles: eye (eye-level), low (low-angle), high (high-angle)

# 24

# 4,6,9,10,12, 16,17,18,22,23, 25,26,27, 29,30,32,33, 34,35

# 19

# 31

# 8,21,28

# 11

# 5

# 15

locations of photographs by issue #

84

# 14

III

analysis

landscape depicted

year

alpine

1973

2

alpine lake

forest

1

1

1

1975

88

coastal

2

1974

trends & patterns

canyon

recreation

1976

3

1977

2

1978*

2

1979

1

1

1

totals

10

4

3

2

1

hill

lake

alpinism

camp

1

1

2

1

1

8

1

1

2

1

3

1

3

3

1

3

1

1

3

1

3

2

18

9

1

1

1

1 3

ski

1

1 1

hike

3

1

2

2

snowshoe

walk

1 1

1

1

2

logo color

logo placement

lower left 3

1

1

1 1

1

1

2

1

1 4

4

1

2

2

4

8

1

upper right

top justified

4

1

1

2

2

upper left

2

2

4 2

2

mid-lower left

3

1

1

middle left

1

1

2

1

2

2

1

1

5 3

1

2 5

1

11

4

3

1

6

16

2

7

* includes issue 30 published in 1978 – 1979

graphic relationships and visual hierarchy

90

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

92

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

94

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

96

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

98

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

100

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

102

color and figures

key elements and axes

composed synthesis

Backpacker Magazine Archive 1973 – 1979 Nicole Salnikov University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland Academy of Art and Design Visual Communication Institute The Basel School of Design Master of Arts in Visual Communication and Iconic Research Practice : Concept Lecturer : Jinsu Ahn Concept and design : Nicole Salnikov Original Scans : Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives, Outdoor Recreation Products Catalog Collection https://libguides.usu. edu/outdoorcatalogs Typeface : Courier New Paper : Freelife Vellum FSC ® 120 g/m2 Print and binding : Nicole Salnikov © 2021 FHNW HGK / Nicole Salnikov, Basel.

All rights reserved.

Special thank you to Clint Pumphrey, Project Curator at Utah State University, for access and permission to use the Outdoor Recreation Catalogs & Magazines Collection.