Capt. MacMillan departure, Wiscasset, 1925
Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media
Although the practice of photojournalism technically emerged alongside the invention of photography, it wasn’t until the development and proliferation of the halftone printing process in the late 19th century that photographs could be accurately and affordably reproduced in newspapers.
Photo Historians argue that this technological breakthrough transformed journalism, shifting from artist-rendered images to mass-printed photography in newsprint.
Early examples of photojournalism, such as Roger Fenton’s Crimean War images and Matthew Brady’s Civil War documentation, laid the groundwork for photography as a tool for shaping public perception.