Down East hits all-time highs Magazine marks 50 years of many changes with record readership

Down East magazine, a glossy publication that celebrates the people and places of Maine, is marking its 50th anniversary this month, with advertising and circulation at all-time highs.

The monthly that published its inaugural issue in August 1954 is perhaps best known for its spectacular photographs of coastal vistas, scenic villages and landscapes in full seasonal splendor.

Over the past quarter-century, Down East has taken on a more contemporary look while shifting its focus from Maine history, lighthouses and boating. It no longer shies away from exploring tough public policy issues such as taxation, health care and casino gambling.

The August anniversary issue, for example, has stories on the impact of rapid growth in York and the changing role of registered Maine Guides, as well as a profile of tax-cap leader Carol Palesky.

“A lot has changed in Maine in the past 50 years,” said Dale Kuhnert, editor in chief. “And just as Maine has been changing very quietly, so too has Down East.”

Down East has outlasted competing publications, including Maine, a trendy state magazine which appeared during the 1970s, and Maine Times, which morphed from weekly newspaper to magazine a couple of years ago in an ill-fated attempt to stay afloat.

Circulation has doubled over the past 10 years, gaining roughly 5,000 per year to reach a high of 112,000, at a time when much of the magazine industry has struggled. The size of the book has ballooned to 252 pages in the August issue.

Kuhnert said a key to Down East’s success is “the continuing allure of Maine. People are endlessly fascinated with it. Also, we’ve always stayed close to our readers. We listen to them and provide them with the kind of solid information about Maine that they’re looking for.”

About one-third of Down East’s readership is from Maine, but Kuhnert said most of the others share deep connections to the state.

“It’s not a magazine for Maine beginners or first-time visitors,” he said, explaining that many readers either grew up in Maine and moved elsewhere, own vacation homes in Maine or are repeat visitors who are thinking of retiring to Maine.

Down East was launched by Duane Doolittle, an economics professor at Syracuse University, and his wife, Betty. Doolittle grew up in Maine, where he and his wife had a summer place in Lincolnville.

The magazine was modeled loosely on the New Yorker, Kuhnert said. The section titled “North by East,” the shorter pieces at the front of the magazine, was Down East’s version of the New Yorker’s “Talk of the Town.”

In its early years, Down East was largely a history magazine packaged with a set of scenic color photographs. The editorial focus gradually shifted, particularly after H. Allen Fernald bought the magazine in 1977. A year later, Fernald moved its offices from Camden to neighboring Rockport.

One big change came in 1985, when the editors daringly put a scenic photograph on the cover in place of the customary painting. Sales spiked upward immediately and photos were used on the covers ever since.

Since 1979 the magazine has presented its annual Down East Environmental Award to an individual or organization for a significant contribution to preserving Maine’s environment.

The first recipient was Charles Bradford, the father of Maine’s state park system. The latest was former Gov. Percival Baxter, donor of Baxter State Park, the first posthumous winner.

“It’s become more prestigious than we ever imagined,” said Kuhnert, noting that the award is presented by the governor in a Blaine House ceremony to which previous recipients are invited.

A few years ago, the magazine added a special section at the back called the Down East Traveler that now can run 40 pages or so. Geared toward tourists, it uses a sometimes-quirky approach while offering authoritative information about places to visit in the state.

The anniversary issue includes a gift to readers: a “Discovery Day” card that provides free admission this Sunday to any one of 50 museums, historic homes, parks or other attractions.

“It’s a way to promote all these wonderful places in Maine and also to thank our readers and to bring us along to our 50th anniversary,” Kuhnert said.

What the next 50 years will bring for Down East is anyone’s guess.

“We’ll just try to do better, in every way,” said Kuhnert, who believes the founders would be pleased at the way the magazine has evolved. “Every issue’s going to have some surprises in it. Down East is not predictable.”