Question: Wide World Photo 1930s

[Florian1234]

Dear all,

I just came across some photos from an illustrated magazine from the 1930s and the photos all are captioned with "Wide World Photo" and no name.

Is there a possibility to look up who the photographer was? Is there a successor of that agency? Did I miss something?
Thanks in advance. Florian

 

[Dwig]

From this page at the LoC, it would seem that "Wild World" is now owned by the Associated Press. The LoC page has contact info for the AP.

Perhaps the LoC has copies and if not checking with the AP might produce results.

 

[Florian1234]

Thanks, I just discovered that Wide World Photo is said to have been the photography service of the New York Times? Maybe I'll contact both, AP and NYT's archive.

 

[Dogman]

In the 70's and 80's (and probably for many years prior and after) Wide World Photos was a non-news photo commercial agency owned of the Associated Press. Many press photographers of the time did occasional commercial work for them (myself included) through AP connections. They had a reputation for paying photographers miserably but AP had such a large pool of available photographers at affiliated newspapers they could always locate someone willing to work for the low rates. I don't know who owns them today or if they still even exist.

 

[Vince Lupo]

In the 70's and 80's (and probably for many years prior and after) Wide World Photos was a non-news photo commercial agency owned of the Associated Press. Many press photographers of the time did occasional commercial work for them (myself included) through AP connections. They had a reputation for paying photographers miserably but AP had such a large pool of available photographers at affiliated newspapers they could always locate someone willing to work for the low rates. I don't know who owns them today or if they still even exist.

There may be confusion between AP Wide World and AP Worldwide (or have they become one and the same?). I worked for AP out of the DC (and sometimes Baltimore) bureau in the late ‘90s, and did occasional work for AP Worldwide. The work I did for AP Worldwide was usually for corporations and organizations - Target, Walmart, Pilsbury, America’s Promise, Avon and a bunch of others I can’t remember. The pay was actually better (relatively speaking) than what AP paid for their news photos, so I didn’t mind at all. Actually I got to meet and photograph a number of famous people through AP Worldwide, as usually the company would have some kind of celebrity tie-in. Amy Grant for Target, the singer Brandy for Walmart, Colin Powell for America’s Promise, Michael Bolton, Johnny Bench, Katie Couric, and a bunch of others I can’t recall off the top of my head. Unfortunate thing was that you sent them the film and you never saw it again. At least with the AP (at that time) I could re-claim the negs that they didn’t use, and oftentimes I’d end up having better shots in the leftover negs than the ones they held onto. I still have many of them.

 

[Florian1234]

Thanks for your replies so far, guys.

I did not dig up any further information yet. I have contacted both, NYT and AP, but did get back standard replies as if I would want to buy some of their actual articles or photos. This, of course, does not help me much.
Anyway, I found out that those photographs are said to have been smuggled out of Germany in 1933 to be circulated widely.
Any further info is welcome.

 

[Florian1234]

Still no satisfying answer. I have contacted the ICP now. Fingers crossed that they can give me some answers to this riddle.😎