Source: stanfordmag.org; photo by Sam Oppee, all rights reserved Sunset Publishing

Off Into the Sunset

by SweisKloss
March 24, 2022

How many of you still read print magazines? At SweisKloss, we’ve opted to go digital with many of the design, architecture, building, and product magazines we would get in the mail. And some of our go-to publications have never had a printed version. Online is easy and interactive—and less expensive to produce for publishers—so it was a surprise to learn that 73% of adults prefer to read printed magazines rather than digital ones. Obviously, hard copy issues have been around much longer, and perhaps there is a level of comfort, familiarity, and removal from an electronic device that appeals to most people.

Some architecture publishing companies were established over 100 years ago. For instance, Architectural Digest was originally launched in 1920 as a California trade quarterly. We remember a time when it used to be solely about modern, extraordinary, or unique architecture but has since evolved into more of a style, culture, travel, and celebrity design showcase. Architectural Record is one of the oldest architecture magazines (the first issue was published in 1891) and is still around; it is geared more toward architects and designers.

Have you ever heard of Sunset magazine? The publication has an interesting history and relevance to us west coasters. First released in 1898, Sunset was distributed for a nickel per issue. Seriously, what can you get for a nickel today? I can't even remember the last time I had to use a nickel. But I digress. The inception for Sunset was due to Southern Pacific Railroad wanting to entice people to the west, and the name came from the Sunset Limited train that ran from New Orleans to San Francisco.

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The first issues of Sunset included essays from Jack London and John Muir. Post WWII, the magazine shifted to cover lifestyle, casual living, architecture, and home design while still capturing the great outdoors of the American West. Each issue was chock full of features of modernist homes, pools, growing produce, and capitalizing on indoor-outdoor spaces. One article in 1956 gave tips on converting a garage into an extra room. According to Stanford history professor emeritus David M. Kennedy, the publication was “green before people were crystallizing their ideas about this. They had a very forward view of what was environmentally sound and put their money where their mouth was.”

In 1951, Sunset Publishing expanded to a large campus in Menlo Park. The facility was designed by Cliff May, who was considered the “father of the California ranch house.” The 3,000-square-feet headquarters included test gardens for editorial use and test kitchens where new recipes were tried out to determine if they were good enough for the magazine.

Circulation was at an all-time high when Time Inc. acquired Sunset Publishing in 1990, which included the handling of the painstakingly preserved archives of all printed issues and 800 first edition books. However, ad sales and profits declined, and in 2014, Time Inc. sold Menlo Park and was about to literally throw out the archived collection. Long story short, one Stanford Libraries’ curator for American and British history stepped in, and although the transfer was rocky and doomsday-ish, the collection was saved. To this day it is still overseen by the Stanford library system.

In 2017, Sunset Publishing was acquired by Regent, a private equity firm. Sunset has joined other publishers of today's digital world and currently only has an online magazine. But the takeaway is that they were pioneers in their field and championed the joy of west coast living, and their long history will be preserved in print. The Sunset website states that they are “passionate about showcasing the region’s unique lifestyle and noteworthy destinations, inspiring people to achieve the dream of living in the West.”

Off Into the Sunset