Though 2014 proved to be another troubling year for the print industry, Americans remained as transfixed by magazine covers as ever.
While today one can gather news from a plethora of high-speed, digital platforms, there is still something to be said for the way a bold headline, a striking photograph and a sheet of glossy paper can capture the day’s biggest stories and most iconic personalities.
From a man kneeling with his hands up amid the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, to Lupita Nyong’o posing in a red and white floral dress to the Advocate naming Russian president Vladimir Putin its “Person of the Year,” magazines covers reflected the arc of politics, protests, culture and celebrity throughout 2014.
Check out some of the year’s most unforgettable covers:
