BEFORE & AFTER

Before news was available with a few clicks of the mouse or the swipe of a phone, images were transferred to print media.

A method called photoengraving was used to transfer a photograph onto a metal plate by means of etching. That plate was then inked to be used in printing a newspaper or magazine. 

In order to make a “better” looking image in newsprint, photos were often marked or painted to create more contrast.

The first image is of the Oakland Tribune engraving room in 1952. On the foreground table are photos, maps and graphics waiting to be processed. The back wall shows a photo being made into plate. The large box on the right is the acid bath.

The second photo of Jean Harlow is an example of the editing done.

The third image is the same photo retoned after minor cleaning.

Jean Harlow cut President Roosevelt’s birthday cake at the Eastbay Birthday Ball, January 30, 1934. 10,000 people attended the fete , though the president himself only addressed the crowd by broadcast. (Photo by the Oakland Tribune)