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.