6/3/98

CONTACT: Diane Manuel, News Service (650) 725-1945
e-mail dmanuel@leland.stanford.edu

Stanford publishes book about Sunset magazine

Stanford University Libraries have published Sunset Magazine: A Century of Western Living, 1898-1998, Historical Portraits and Bibliography.

Coinciding with the centennial of the magazine, the new publication provides an in-depth view of Sunset and features articles about the magazine's history by Kevin Starr, California State Librarian, and Tomas Jaehn, Stanford's curator for American and British history.

Illustrated with more than 250 covers, photographs, cartoons, diagrams and other artwork reproduced from the magazine, the book includes retrospective essays by L.W. "Bill" Lane Jr. and Melvin B. Lane, former co-chairmen and publishers of Sunset magazine and books. The bibliographical section, compiled by Stanford library staff, includes topical listings of more than 9,000 feature articles, a chronological listing of more than 900 books published by Sunset and an author-subject index.

"This volume will be of considerable utility and interest not only to scholars of Western history and popular culture, but also to the many individuals throughout the region with a lasting affection for and loyalty to the magazine," said Michael A. Keller, Stanford University Librarian, director of Academic Information Resources and publisher of HighWire Press, Stanford's online imprint. "The book provides a unique window on Sunset, which has documented much about the development of the Western states over the past century; we were very fortunate in finding a donor willing to underwrite the development, printing and distribution of the book."

Stanford will make the book available at no cost to libraries in the 13 Western states that have substantial back-files of Sunset magazine. A very limited number of copies will be available for sale to the public through the Stanford Bookstore as of early June 1998, at the retail price of $30 (plus tax, shipping and handling as appropriate). Orders will be accepted by phone, (650) 329-1217 or (800) 533-2670; by fax, (650) 322-1936; by e-mail, mailorder@bookstore.stanford.org; or by post, Mail Order, Stanford Bookstore, Stanford, CA 94305-3079. Copies will not be available for sale directly from the Libraries.

Much of the information in the book (updated through May 1998) is also available online at no cost. The website for the bibliography and essays is http://sunset-magazine.stanford.edu.

For further information, contact Sarah Williamson, director of communications, Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources, Stanford, CA 94305-6004 (650-723-8252).

-30-

By Diane Manuel