Hardwood Magazine

Hardwood was a small regional gentleman's magazine that served the Pacific Northwest market for four years. Founded by Portland businessman and amateur photographer Dale Whitfield, it filled a niche for Northwest men who wanted locally-flavored content featuring real Northwest girls rather than the airbrushed Hollywood models of the national magazines.

The magazine featured local models photographed in Pacific Northwest settings—log cabins, hot springs, mountain lakes, coastal beaches—alongside articles about fishing, trucks, hiking, and the Northwest lifestyle. Advertising was entirely regional: timber companies, fishing outfitters, breweries, and outdoor gear shops.

Hardwood folded in 1974 after just sixteen issues. Rising printing costs, difficulty finding advertisers willing to appear alongside adult content, and growing competition from the national magazines reaching the region made it unsustainable. The complete archive was recovered from Dale Whitfield's estate in 2025. Read the full story.