Editing Popular Mechanics (section)

==History==
{{stack|[[File:PopularMechanicsApril1924.png|thumb|Cover of April 1924 issue, 25 cents ({{Inflation|US|0.25|1924|fmt=eq|r=2}}).]]}}
''Popular Mechanics'' was founded as a weekly in Chicago by Henry Haven Windsor, with the first issue dated January 11, 1902. His concept was that it would explain "the way the world works" in plain language, with photos and illustrations to aid comprehension.<ref name=":0" /> For decades, its tagline was: "Written so you can understand it."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tNwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA127|last= Whittaker|first= Wayne|title=The Story of Popular Mechanics|magazine=Popular Mechanics|date= January 1952| pages=127–132; 366–380}}</ref>

In September 1902, the magazine, formerly a weekly, became a monthly. The Popular Mechanics Company was owned by the Windsor family and printed in Chicago until the [[Hearst Corporation]] purchased the magazine in 1958. In 1962, the editorial offices moved to New York City.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Seelhorst|first=Mary|date=October 2002|title=In the Driver's Seat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AtEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA94 |journal=Popular Mechanics|pages=96}}</ref>

In 2020, Popular Mechanics relocated to [[Easton, Pennsylvania]], along with the two additional brands in the Hearst Enthusiast Group ([[Bicycling (magazine)|Bicycling]] and [[Runner's World]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rhodin |first=Tony |date=2020-10-14 |title=Hearst Magazines to soon move its Enthusiast Group into Easton building |url=https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/2020/10/hearst-magazines-to-soon-move-its-enthusiast-group-into-easton-building.html |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=lehighvalleylive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Keith J. |date=2019-01-30 |title=Popular Mechanics HQ headed to Easton amid Hearst struggles |url=https://nypost.com/2019/01/29/popular-mechanics-hq-headed-to-easton-amid-hearst-struggles/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |language=en-US}}</ref> That location has also included Popular Mechanics' testing facility, called the Test Zone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wescoe |first=Stacy |date=2018-09-20 |title=Hearst to move Bicycling, Runner's World operations to Easton |url=https://lvb.com/hearst-to-move-bicycling-runners-world-operations-to-easton/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=LVB |language=en-US}}</ref>

From the first issue, the magazine featured a large illustration of a technological subject, a look that evolved into the magazine's characteristic full-page, full-color illustration and a small {{convert|6.5|x|9.5|in|adj=on}} trim size beginning with the July 1911 issue. It maintained the small format until 1975 when it switched to a larger standard trim size.{{clarifyme|date=May 2025}}<ref name="seelhorst2002"/>

In 1915, ''Popular Mechanics'' adopted full-color cover illustrations, and the look was widely imitated by later technology magazines.<ref name="seelhorst2002">{{Cite journal|last=Seelhorst|first=Mary|date=May 2002|title=The Art of the Cover: The most memorable covers from the past 100 years and the stories behind them.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TNMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92|journal=Popular Mechanics|pages=94}}</ref>

After World War II ended, in 1945, a number of international editions were introduced, starting with a French edition, followed by Spanish in 1947, and then [[Swedish language|Swedish]] and [[Danish language|Danish]] in 1949. As of 2002, the print magazine was being published in English, Chinese, and Spanish and distributed worldwide.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Seelhorst|first=Mary|date=March 2002|title=Zero to 100|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA117 |journal=Popular Mechanics|pages=117}}</ref> South African<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ramsaymedia.co.za/company-brands/popularmechanics/|title=Popular Mechanics|website=RamsayMedia.co.za|access-date=2019-01-03}}</ref> and Russian editions were introduced that same year.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

The March 1962 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine aided in the [[June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt]], in which three men (Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin) used the magazine as a reference to build life vests and a raft out of rubber raincoats and contact cement.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

Notable people who have contributed articles have included [[Guglielmo Marconi]], [[Thomas Edison]], [[Jules Verne]], [[Barney Oldfield]], [[Knute Rockne]], [[Winston Churchill]], [[Charles Kettering]], [[Tom Wolfe]], and [[Buzz Aldrin]], as well as US presidents such as [[Teddy Roosevelt]] and [[Ronald Reagan]]. Comedian and car expert [[Jay Leno]] had a regular column, ''Jay Leno's Garage'', that started in March 1999.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Best of Popular Mechanics, 1902-2002|publisher=Hearst Communications|year=2002|isbn=1-58816-112-9|editor-last=Seelhorst|editor-first=Mary|location=New York|pages=1}}</ref>