Down East magazine, has been publishing since August 1954, and continues as one of Maine's most prominent monthly magazines. Their web site's history page provides the following description:

"The goal of Down East has always been to hold a mirror up to Maine — its storied past and lively present — and to celebrate its flinty, independent character and unhurried way of life. As Maine has changed with the times, however, so has Down East. Today the state has come to embrace its future as well as its past. Accordingly, the magazine now focuses more on contemporary Maine life and what the future might bring and less on historical background and quaint rusticity. Booming circulation and advertising gains demonstrate the wisdom of this editorial shift."

Portland Public Library's collection of Down East is complete, and begins with the first issue, August 1954. The hard copies are available in the Portland Room.

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Submissions from 1997

Personal essay on summer raspberry-picking in Maine., Richard Grant

Photo essay showing several abandoned houses across the state, that remain board, Brink Brian Vanden

Photograph, with detailed caption, of an osprey attempting to return to its summ

Photograph, with detailed caption, showing the interior of Champion Internationa

Picture and brief essay on Andrew Wyeth's painting, "Wind from the Sea," of the

Profile of Chuck Harris, 46, a veteran riverman and the driving force behind the, Elizabeth Peavey

Profile of ferry boats down east.

Profile of Frances Webb Stratton, owner of the John E. and Walter D. Webb Museum, Ellen MacDonald Ward

Profile of Frannie Peabody, long active in Portland Landmarks and The AIDS Proje, Sarah Goodyear

Profile of John Thorne, producer of the newsletter "Simple Cooking" and author o, Sarah Goodyear

Profile of Kennebunk innkeeper Shirley Loewy and the William Lord Mansion, one o, Frank Andrews

Profile of Larry Hall, Heidi Sorensen, and their year-round home deep in the Nor, Ken Textor

Profile of Maine's foremost dealer in refinished antique oak, Alice Welch., Elizabeth Peavey

Profile of naturalist-ranger Bryant Wood, a trained biologist who has been a nat, Andrew Vietze

Profile of Reinhard Zollitsch, 57, a professor at the University of Maine who ha, Jeff Shula

Profile of Richard Malaby, 45, innkeeper at the Crocker House Country Inn at Han, Elizabeth Peavey

Profile of Steven Watts and his bakery in Rockport, Sweet Sensations. Many cons, Amy Rawe

Profile of the Western Prom neighborhood in Portland. Residents started using t, Elizabeth Peavey

Profile of Toshio Hashimoto, who repairs Japanese cars in Rumford and grows Shit, G M. Eckel

Profile of woodworker and frame-maker Duane Patricio., Christine Carson

Profile of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, a Japanese American painter who worked in Ogunquit f, Elizabeth Peavey

Profiles of "Maine's most scenic highways:" Route 201, Solon to Jackman; Route 2

Profiles of the captains of the Rockland fleet: John Foss, Doug and Linda Lee, K

Response to "Where in Maine?" Letter to the editor describing Cundy's Harbor, n, Elizabeth L. Jones

Review of "A Bride's Passage: Susan Hathorn's Year Under Sail" by Catherine Petr, Peter Spectre

Review of and six photographs excerpted from "A Day's Work: A Sampler of Histori

Review of Casa Napoli restaurant in Falmouth; its owner, Hugo Gasc, from Sicily;, Scott Sutherland

Review of Fore Street restaurant in Portland, and description of its wood-fired, Sarah Goodyear

Review of "One Man's Meat," a collection of columns on Maine life by E. B. White, Richard Grant

Review of two biographies of Margaret Chase Smith: Politics of Conscience, by Pa, Al Diamon

Robbie McKay of Kingman and her group, Unorganized Territories United, want to s, Jeff Clark

"Room With A View." Column on giving a speech to a library by the Schoodic Peni, Caskie Stinnett

"Room With A View" column on the growing popularity of moose., Caskie Stinnett

"Room with a View" piece on the essential character of Maine, and the difficulty, Caskie Stinnett

"Room With A View" piece on the simplicity of rural Maine life., Caskie Stinnett

Rosita Gagne, Michael Saxl, and 13 other state representatives have formed a gro

The about twenty million gray squirrels outnumber humans in Maine, and once they, John Cole

The Bangor Public Library is preparing an $8.5 million addition, which will crea, Jeff Clark

The Korean firm Iceland Corporation will add whelk to the fish caught off Maine.

"The Maine Paper Trail" piece on Maine's status as the second largest producer o

"The Maine Viewpoint." Bangor Daily News piece on MBNA's $10 million program to

"The Maine Viewpoint." Biddeford Journal-Tribune editorial calling for a lodgin

"The Maine Viewpoint." Brunswick Times Record article on the closure of Maine Y

"The Maine Viewpoint." Brunswick Times Record editorial calling for rewording t

"The Maine Viewpoint." Kennebec Journal editorial calling for the removal of Ed

"The Maine Viewpoint." Kennebec Journal editorial calling on the National Weath

"The Maine Viewpoint." Rockland Courier-Gazette editorial on parking problems.

"The Maine Viewpoint." York County Coast Star editorial praising Southern Maine

The PBS television series "Anyplace Wild" includes Dave and Annie Getchell's len, James P. Brown

There are times in Maine when the making of light becomes very important. Peopl, Richard Grant