Ninety years ago, on Jan. 1, 1935, The Associated Press, using groundbreaking technology, marked an industry first: sending a photograph on the wire.
The single image of a plane crash in upstate New York was transmitted to 25 cities across the country via cutting edge technology, called Wirephoto, which was developed exclusively by AP engineers.
It revolutionized news coverage by enabling photographs to be delivered alongside AP stories, enhancing the wire service’s coverage of global events.
Conceived by AP General Manager Kent Cooper, Wirephoto was based on a vision of a leased-wire system, similar to the one established for text in 1875, which was designed to link all receiving points simultaneously.
Early picture scoops demonstrated the value of Wirephoto.
When aviator Wiley Post and actor Will Rogers died in a plane crash over Alaska on August 15, 1935, Wirephoto captured the scene. When the Hindenburg exploded over Lakehurst, New Jersey, Murray Becker’s photo was transmitted via Wirephoto. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Wirephoto delivered images of Jesse Owens winning four gold medals. And when Max Schmeling defeated Joe Louis in their 12th-round knockout on June 19, 1936, John Rooney’s ringside shot was transmitted.
To mark the 90-year anniversary of Wirephoto, AP’s Corporate Archives, collaborating with AP’s marketing team, has chosen ten images from each of the nine decades. They will run throughout January, commemorating a great development in news technology.
See here the collection of iconic images from each decade of AP Wirephoto.
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