The First Wire Photos
Photos from around the world… in eight minutes
Today we can see images of breaking news stories moments after they happen. It wasn’t always that way – prior to the wire photo, press images were largely delivered by mail, train or airplane and could spend hours or days in transit.
On April 3rd, 1939, the Toronto Star became the first Canadian newspaper to join the Associated Press wire network. The network enabled images to be transmitted over the phone line to and from newspapers across North America. According to the Star in 1939: “The drama of private lives and momentous events, as seen through the eyes of thousands of cameras, is just eight minutes from a dark room in the Star Bldg.” Here you can see some of the very first wire photos the Star received.
The Toronto Star Photograph Archive contains thousands of wire photos from across Canada and around the world.
Front page of the Toronto Daily Star
April 3, 1939
Toronto Daily Star, page 2
April 3, 1939
Toronto Daily Star, page 2
April 3, 1939
Toronto Star wire photo operator, 1939
Unknown
April 3, 1939
Toronto Star wire photo operator receives one of the first wire photos from the Associated Press network in April 1939. It is a photo of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Bert Gardiner and Mel Hill, 1939
Associated Press
April 2, 1939
Goalie Bert Gardiner of the New York Rangers congratulates Mel Hill on his overtime goal. Sent from Boston, this is one of the first AP wire photos received and published by the Toronto Star on April 3, 1939.
New York hostage taking, 1939
Associated Press
April 2, 1939
Father Francis X Quinn pleads with a robber holding an elderly couple hostage to give himself up to the New York police.
This wire photo was one of the first to be received by the Toronto Star from the AP network. It was published on April 3, 1939.
Rescued at sea
Photographer: Associated Press
April 1939
Mr. and Mrs. Charles King rescued after 16 days in the Gulf of Panama pose with reporter Louis Noli. This wire photo, received by the Toronto Star on April 3rd , 1939 was published the same day.