1961 Sports Illustrated Magazine May 1st Kentucky Derby Preview

Description: Step into the golden era of mid-century sports journalism with this original May 1, 1961 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. This historic edition serves as the premier annual Kentucky Derby Preview issue, featuring an expressive, full-color impressionist oil painting layout on the front cover that captures horse racing jockeys and thoroughbreds mid-stride. Beyond the foundational Triple Crown horse racing coverage, this weekly periodical contains deep-dive feature reporting and sports photography documenting the era's major athletic events, making it an exceptional historical time capsule for collectors of vintage print media. The front cover displays the classic bold black typography layout of Sports Illustrated against an earth-toned artistic background layout, complete with its original 25-cent cover price print.

Product Specifications

• Publication: Sports Illustrated Magazine

• Issue Date: May 1, 1961

• Cover Feature: Kentucky Derby Preview

• Notable Inside Content: Pre-Race Thoroughbred Profiles & Mid-Century Sports Journalism

• Original Cover Price: 25¢

• Format: Weekly Softcover Sports Periodical

• Item Type: Genuine Official Print Magazine

Detailed Condition & Flaw Report

This vintage periodical is sold strictly as-is based on a direct physical review of the cover layout.

• Overall Condition: Used condition with visible surface wear, perimeter creasing, and spine stress consistent with vintage age and historical mailing storage.

• Spine & Binding: Visible multi-point creasing, vertical stress marks, and light color breaking along the left vertical binding edge.

• Cover Wear: Front cover displays surface scuffing, minor edge nicks, corner rubbing, and handling creases across the lower portion. An original paper mailing address label is attached upside-down in the lower-left corner (addressed to Mr. Ronald Stroup, Liberty, Spencer, Ohio).

• Interior Pages & Cleanliness: Unverified beyond the cover scan, sold strictly as-is.

Photo Reminder: before placing your order, Please examine all high-resolution listing photos closely to verify the exact condition of the item. Because Pictures are part of the description too.

Shipping & Store Logistics

• Archival-Safe Protection: Vintage paper programs are highly prone to edge nicks, rolling, or folding if improperly packaged. To protect your investment, this 1961 Sports Illustrated Magazine will be safely enclosed in a protective sleeve, placed between heavy cardboard reinforcement panels, and shipped inside a clean, rigid, crush-resistant box to ensure it arrives flat.

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• Tracked Delivery: All orders are packed securely and shipped quickly with tracking numbers sent directly to you via email.