Speed Graphic cameras were manufactured in Rochester, NY beginning in 1912. It gained wide usage during and after WWII because it was able to achieve the fastest shutter speed (1/1000 of second) available. It used large format glass plates for negatives that were ideal for newspaper printing. It was widely used by newspapers and magazines from 1940s to 1970s.
Many famous photographs have been taken with Speed Graphic cameras. Think Iwo Jima, Ruby shooting Oswald, Marilyn, Elvis, JFK, MLK. The cameras were notoriously difficult to operate and held one negative. Each click of the shutter really mattered.
Most models of this camera were owned by the press or professionals who worked for the media. Each of these cameras are responsible for hundreds and thousands of photographs printed in newspapers and magazines around the world. This is responsible for making history real.
