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''Sports Afield'' (SA) was founded in 1887 by Claude King, as a hunting and fishing magazine, and it is the oldest continuously published outdoor magazine in North America. The first issue, in January 1888, was eight pages long; it was printed on newspaper stock and published in Denver, Colorado. Together with ''Outdoor Life'' and ''Field & Stream'', it is one of the Big Three in American outdoor magazines. Initially only a magazine, Sports Afield started applying its name on branded products after WW II. This program greatly expanded in the 21st century, and the Sports Afield Brand is now available on dozens of products such as back packs, camping equipment, clothing, household decorations, knives, sunglasses, vault-type safes, and even log cabins. =="Journal for Gentlemen"== The “Journal for Gentlemen” promised, in King’s words, “To be devoted to hunting, fishing, rifle and trap shooting, the breeding of thorough-bred dogs, cycling, and kindred sports…” The subscription price was $1.50 per year, with single copies selling for 15 cents. A few years later, King expounded on his philosophy: “''Sports Afield'' has an ambition above that of simply entertaining and amusing the public; it wants to help propagate the true spirit of gentle sportsmanship, to encourage indulgence in outdoor recreations, and to assist in the dissemination of knowledge regarding natural history, photography, firearms, and kindred subjects.” Before the decade was out, ''Sports Afield'' had expanded and moved its operations to Chicago. The magazine grew, with some issues running 96 pages. It soon became not only a voice of the American West, but as well a spokesman for campers, fishermen, hunters, and shooters across the United States of America. By 1927, when King stepped down as editor and turned the reins over to Joe Godfrey, ''Sports Afield'' was in full stride. Zane Grey started writing for the magazine, as did Jimmy Robinson, beginning a 60-year association with the publication. In 1930, Ivan B. Romig and his associates took over ''Sports Afield'', combined it with a smaller publication—''Trails of the Northwoods''—and moved the offices to Minneapolis. A string of editors worked the helm of ''Sports Afield'', which struggled during the Great Depression years to stay afloat. It did, and by 1934 the magazine was in the black. ''Sports Afield'' was an early advocate of the wise use of the earth’s resources, trying to make the public aware of environmental concerns. Its credo was: “We believe in sane conservation, we oppose pollution, and we stand for the enforcement of our game laws.” In the 1930s, Gordon MacQuarrie and Archibald Rutledge joined as writers, and the circulation rose to 250,000. In 1945, Ted Kesting, an associate editor of ''Country Gentleman'' magazine, was hired as editorial director and brought from Philadelphia to Minneapolis. His assignment was to expand and modernize ''Sports Afield''. Only 26 years of age, he was the youngest editor of a major national publication in the United States. Kesting soon signed up more writers. One he brought on board was angling editor Jason Lucas, whose writings about bass fishing became very popular. Another was mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner, who became known for his articles defending gun owners' and hunters’ rights. By October 1948, ''TIME'' reported that ''Sports Afield'' had become the biggest of all outdoor monthlies. "Last week it put to bed a November issue that would go to 800,000 customers, a record for its sixty-one years. Colorful as a hatband full of flies, it was filled with picture stories and crackling adventure stuff…” 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sports Afield」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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