File:Time-magazine-cover-william-wrigley-jr.jpg

Time magazine cover showing William Wrigley Jr, PD as the copyright was not renewed.

Works copyrighted before 1964 had to have the copyright renewed sometime in the 28th year. If the copyright was not renewed the work is in the public domain. It is best to search 6 months before and after the required year. Some magazines are published the month before the cover date and some registrations may be delayed for a few months.

This October 14, 1929 issue of Time would have to be renewed in 1956. Online page scans of the Catalog of Copyright Entries, published by the US Copyright Office can be found here. http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/cce/

The search of the Renewals for Periodicals for 1955, 1956 and 1957 show no renewal entries for Time. The publishers, Time Inc., started renewing the copyrights of Time magazine in 1964 with the July 6, 1936 issue. Most (if not all) issues that were published before July 1936 are in the public domain.

The copyright on this magazine was not renewed and it is in the public domain.

The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States, either because it was first published before 1930, or for the reason described either above or below this template. This photograph of the work is also in the public domain in the United States (see Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp.).
Note: Unless the creator died more than 70 years ago, the work of art is not public domain worldwide.

source: http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101291014,00.html, image copied from Wikipedia