In the process of trying to choose a name for the new picture magazine
that was going to be printed many different ideas were suggested, such
as: (Wainwright 47)
Album Eye Candid Flash
Go
News Focus
Nuze-Vuze
Picture
Scan
Promenade
Quest
Snap
Vista
Witness
World
Spectator
See
Wide Awake!
March of Time
Dime
Originally, the prospectus was called "Dime" with the subtitle "The
Show-book of the Worlds." Luce felt that the subtitle confined the
magazine's appeal to a limited group. He felt that
"Life" would be the best name for the type of magazine that he was
proposing. (Wainwright 47)
The only problem with using "Life" was that there was already a
publication
with that title. In early October of 1936, only weeks away from the first
issue of the new picture magazine, the circulation of the current Life
magazine, in its
54th year, was dwindling fast. Luce took the opportunity to seize the
title and on October 7th, for $92,000 and jobs for all the present
staff, Time Inc. acquired the name, assets and goodwill
of "Life." (Wainwright 47)
"It was a unanimous opinion of all present that the name was
ideal."
--Henry R. Luce
When asked about first hearing the title, Alfred Eisenstaedt, a
photographer for the magazine, said,"I thought, 'My God let me see. Life.
Life. Life. And after five
minutes, I liked it." (Wainwright 48)
