IN MAY 1967, when Southern Living was just over a year old, we ran a cover story about the Kentucky Derby with an iconic photograph by Bruce Roberts. I have always loved this image, with the horses rounding the first turn, the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs rising from the grandstand, and more than 100,000 spectators standing in rapt anticipation under a blue sky. The story inside was no less dramatic, leading off with a quote from the Paducah-born writer and humorist Irvin S. Cobb: “Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold the Derby, you ain’t never been nowheres and you ain’t never seen nothin’.”
With the Derby gearing up for its 150th running, I started digging into this old issue. Before long, I was immersed in the fragile pages of a Southern time capsule. In some ways, the magazine has changed quite a bit. We don’t have columns on “Interesting Southern Men” or the latest tennis fashions anymore, and we don’t often recommend that you “Cover Your Walls With Cloth.” But we are still guided by the seasons, and the heart and soul of Southern Living have stayed remarkably consistent. Much like the issue you’re holding right now, there were stories on “Gracious Living Out of Doors” and “New Recipes Using Strawberries.” We had a section of “Letters to Our Garden Editors” (a bit like Grumpy but without the humor) and suggestions for “How To Grow Prize-Winning Tomatoes.” And as you’ll see in Senior Lifestyle Editor Ivy Odom’s column, “I’ll Bring the Bourbon” (page 18), we’re still celebrating this Kentucky classic.
I’ve only been to the Derby once, but it was an experience I’ll never forget. My wife, Susan, and I went with some friends back in 2011, and it was impossible not to get caught up in the excitement, the traditions, and the mint juleps. We bought some hats, I broke out the seersucker, and we tried to pace ourselves over several days of events and parties. When it came time for the big race, we each decided to place a $20 bet on the winner. I don’t remember which one I picked, but Susan chose a 20-to-1 long shot called Animal Kingdom because she’d read somewhere that he might have a chance. As the horses came down the stretch, Animal Kingdom burst into the lead, and over 164,000 people dressed in their finest were screaming at the top of their lungs. When I looked over at Susan, her expression was a mixture of shock and pure joy. I didn’t know it then, but Irvin S. Cobb was right. We had “never seen nothin’ ” like it. Happy Derby anniversary.
Sid Evans, Editor in Chief
sid@southernliving.com
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SOUTHERN LIVING ARCHIVE; COURTESY SID EVANS (2)