Hardwood was a small regional gentleman's magazine that served the Pacific Northwest market for fourteen 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 1985 when expanded national distribution made Playboy and Penthouse available at every supermarket checkout in the region. The complete archive was recovered from Dale Whitfield's estate in 2025. Read the full story.
126 issues total. More scans coming as we work through the archive.