"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.
Submissions from 2015
North by East. The Phantom Punch was a Hit, Rob Sneddon
North by East. There’s a Map for That, Grace-Yvette Gemmell
North by East. To the Last Drop, Tom Porter
North by east : Vroom (Ouch!) Vroom, Virginia M. Wright
North by East. We’ve Got the Look, B.K. [Brian King]
North by east : What’s in a picture?, Virginia M. Wright
North by East. What’s in a Picture?, Brian Kevin
North by East. What’s in a Picture? Appalachian Pie, Virginia M. Wright
North by East. What’s in a Picture? End of an Era, J.E. [Jesse Ellison]
North by East. What’s in a Picture? Lake Effect, B.K. [Brian Kevin]
North by East. What’s in a Picture? Life Line, B.K. [Brian King]
North by East. What's in a Picture? No Reindeer Necessary, Virginia M. Wright
North by East. What’s in a Picture: Sails Men, B.K. [Brian Kevin]
North by East. What’s in a Picture?: Small Potatoes, R.S. [Rob Sneddon]
North by East. What’s in a Picture: The Expo Turns 100, Rob Sneddon
North by east : Worth the wait, Brian Kevin
North by East. You’re 86’d!: On Screaming Babies, Screamer Owners, and other Breaches of Restaurant Etiquette, [Editorial staff writers]
North by east : Zoning out, Rob Sneddon
Ogunquit Leads the Way, Virginia M. Wright
Our Hopper, David Millward
Postcards from the Edge, Virginia M. Wright and Tyler Aldrich, photographer
Room with a View. A Man and His Clothes, Paul Doiron
Seeds He’s Sown, Brian Kevin and Toan Trinh, photographer
Shattered, Virginia M. Wright and Séan Alonzo Harris, photographer
SoPo So Good, Edgar Allen Beem and Douglas Merriam, photographer
Special Section. 12 reasons to retire in Maine, Meadow Rue Merrill
Special Section. Retire in Maine : Finding your next trail to follow, Edgar Allen Beem and Cait Kimball, photographer
Stitch ‘n Bliss, Sandra L. Oliver and Erin Little, photographer
The Art of Giving 2015. Featured Artist: Deborah Randall, [Editorial staff writers]
The Art of Giving 2015. Featured artist: Marsha Donahue, [Editorial staff writers]
The Art of Giving 2015. Featured Artist: Susan Bartlett Rice, [Editorial staff writers]
The Art of Giving 2015. Featured Artist: Wendilee Heath O’Brien, [Editorial staff writers]
The Belfast operation, Brian Kevin
The Secret Lives of Houses, Virginia M. Wright and Brian Vanden Brink, photographer
The Throwbacks, Rob Sneddon and Séan Alonzo Harris, photographer
The Toymakers, Matthew Vincent Ambrosino
The Wild Women of Vinalhaven, Edgar Allen Beem and Erin Little, photographer
Uncle Henry’s takes over the world, Brian Kevin and David Yellen, photographer
Walking in Solitude, Virginia M. Wright and Michael Wilson, photographer
What’s in a picture : Migration illustration, Brian Kevin
Whose Town is it Anyway?, Rob Sneddon and Carla Slifka, photographer
Wild Wild East, Jesse Ellison and Richard Mia, photographer
Your 10 Favorite Maine State Parks, [Various authors]
Your Maine. Reflection on the Place We Love, [Editorial staff writers]
Your Maine. Reflections on the Place We Love
Your Maine. Reflections on the Place We Love, [Editorial staff writers]
Your Maine. Reflections on the Place We Love, [Editorial staff writers]
Your Maine. Reflections on the Place We Love, [Editorial staff writers]
Your Maine. Reflections on the Place We Love, [Editorial staff writers]
Your Maine. Reflections on the Place We Love, [Editorial staff writers]