Press photographers - how did they get shots back to the office?

[auntiemaryscanary]

A former football press photographer took (digital ) photos of my wedding 15 years ago. He was telling me about how he had to guess which film shot he'd taken before half time would best convey the match. I think he said someone would come and collect the processed film and it would it would then be in the evening local results paper.

Pre-digital, how would this have happened? Would a Rodinax been used by the photographer to develop the film? How would they get the film dry? I'm not in contact with him anymore so can't ask him. Any information greatly received.

I'm mulling over a little project when I'm away from home (and thus my darkroom). Over the course of a few days, each evening, I'm thinking of developing that days 35mm shots. Any information gratefully received.

 

[Nod]

Some papers had vans which contained basic darkrooms so the films could be developed on the way back to the office where the (sometimes wet) negs could be printed ASAP. Can't tell you which developer was used.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Pre-digital, how would this have happened?

That would depend entirely on who the photographer was, whether he was staff or freelance, whether they worked for a publication or an agency, the nature of that particular story and so on.

Where it was practical, staffers might be given a motorcycle despatch rider to carry their film back to a processing station, either at the newspaper offices or somewhere that could develop and print the film, then use a facsimile scanner to send the picture to the newspaper via the telephone system (this technology was nothing like the modern internet).

For development on site, a photographer might have a changing bag, spirals and a developing tank in a wooden case, along with chemistry. A little more sophisticated was a folding enlarger to make his own prints.

It was a very different world back then.

 

[StephenM]

A few years ago (I think 1963 or 1964) Practical Photography magazine had an article on rapid processing and printing. It only took a few minutes, but you did have to cut corners.