In 1925, the New Yorker’s founding editor Harold Ross envisioned the magazine as “a reflection in word and picture of metropolitan life”. A century on, and its irreverent tone and visual style have made it iconic in both the magazine world and wider culture. Wes Anderson famously even dedicated an entire cinematic world to the publication in his 2021 film The French Dispatch.

The team behind the New Yorker is fittingly celebrating its centenary with a flurry of activity, including an all-important range of anniversary merch, a weekly game inspired by its expansive archive of cartoons, and an exhibition of its most famous covers at L’Alliance New York, curated by its longstanding art editor Françoise Mouly.

At the heart of the celebrations is the 100th Anniversary Issue, which includes features such as editor David Remnick’s musings on the magazine from 1925 to today and contributor Jill Lepore on the letters of New Yorker editors and writers, as well as six special edition covers. Below, we hear about how the issue was brought to life.