Life, a symbol of 20th century magazine publishing and former pillar of Time Inc., is being relaunched by Bedford Media, the company led by model-entrepreneur Karlie Kloss.
The magazine, which was founded in 1883, will return in both print and digital form, with Bedford managing operations of the brand under a licensing agreement with Dotdash Meredith. Video will also be part of the mix, and an official announcement said the publication will have a “regular cadence,” though it did not specify a print frequency. No financial terms were disclosed.
Time Inc. acquired Life in 1936 and continued to publish it weekly until 1972. At its peak, the photo-centric publication had a circulation of 13.5 million and was a defining news outlet for decades, visually documenting wars, domestic life and moon landings. It remained in circulation via special issues and supplements through 2008 before shuttering for good.
“Life’s legacy lies in its ability to blend culture, current events, and everyday life—highlighting the triumphs, challenges, and unique perspectives that define us,” said Joshua Kushner, publisher of Life and husband of Kloss.
Kloss and Kushner’s Bedford Media is a media holding company that describes itself as being “focused on artisanal storytelling, authenticity, and shared cultural resonance.” The company last fall acquired i-D magazine from Vice Media when Vice was going through bankruptcy.
“We see Life as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape,” said Kloss, who is CEO of Bedford Media. “While Bedford is a new media company, we are deeply inspired by Life’s iconic legacy and ability to connect diverse audiences with universal narratives of humanity.”
Dotdash Meredith will continue to own the full rights to the LIFE photography and content archives dating back to the 1930’s and will also continue to publish its single-topic special interest magazines for the LIFE brand available on newsstands.
