First Edition of Life MagazineNovember 23, 1936

  
Already established and recognized in the publishing business, Luce wanted the LIFE nameplate to launch a revolutionary news magazine on his hunch that the power of photographs to tell stories, more than text, would be a history-making move. Little did he know how right he would beWhen Luce bought LIFE in 1936, he assembled the best team of photographers he could find. The Luce version of LIFE was more than a success, it was as Luce had envisioned, history making. A publishing success from day one, many of the magazine's photos are legendary in the annals of American photography, and the magazine's role in pioneering photojournalism is considered its most important contribution to publishing. The first issue cover and feature story of LIFE was not about any one individual however, it was about the building of the Fort Peck dam in Montana, or as fate had it, more about the lives of the workers who were building the dam.