1. Early Magazine Covers:
These covers were usually just a title and maybe a small drawing mainly to just bring in information of what the inside of the magazine was about. There were no cameras so very little drawing was done because magazine covers were not created to catch attention. These covers were usually on paper and the small drawings were always symbolizing what the magazines mainly covered.
2. The Poster Cover:
These photos usually didn't need much words on what was inside the magazine. They were very abstract or drawn out photos that focused on portraying on what you would find inside the magazine. For example, if the inside of your magazine talked all about rock and roll and how its changed the cover of your magazine would most likely be a picture of someone playing a guitar at a concert or some where concerts are held in todays world.
3. Pictures Married to Type:
These covers were surrounded by words that shortly summarized what was on the inside the magazine. These covers had words that always found a way to frame the model while not retracting from the photo. Almost all of the words were the exact same size and not very differentiated across the whole cover making it very boring to look at and drawing away from the model and the main focus of what is inside the photo. These covers started as early as 1916 and were used in other countries around the world as well.
4. In the Forest of Words
These covers were COVERED in words. The magazines by this time had drawn away from the poster type of magazines and now formal pictures of models and celebrities surrounded by words every where occasionally including the face. These photos had gotten so out of control with words that the words would go over the hair or over the chest of the model/celebrity making the photo swamped by words that were related to the topics written about inside the magazine. These magazines had become very popular as early as 1937.
