A listing of antique photography magazines with mastheads and links to scanned online editions
Here you’ll find a running list of historic photography magazines with their masthead designs and links to read them whenever possible. I’ll add more magazines as I discover them. All of these magazines pre-date 1920 and are in the public domain according to U.S. copyright law.
Historic photography magazines listed in alphabetical order
The American Amateur Photographer
Brunswick, Maine. Published 1889-1906.
![1889 Logo for The American Amateur Photographer, published in Brunswick, Maine from 1889-1906.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-1.21.18-PM-960x369.png)
The American Annual of Photography
New York. Published 1908-1953.
![A very gothic masthead for the American Annual of Photography, published for nearly half a century beginning in 1908.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-5.13.44-PM-960x303.png)
The American Journal of Photography
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Published 1879-1900.
![The American Journal of Photography, published from 1879-1900 in Philadelphia.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-5.07.56-PM-960x415.png)
American Photography
New York. Published by American Photographic Publishing Co.
Official publication of the Camera Club of New York, 1900-Apr. 1912; of the Photo Pictorialists of Buffalo, 1909-Dec. 1914; of the Boston Photo-Clan, Dec. 1911-Dec. 1914.
![Masthead of American Photography, circa 1907.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/American-Photography-1907-960x603.png)
Read it here or
Watch a video where I thumb through an entire 1914 issue
The Camera
London, England. Published 1886-1891.
![The Camera: A Monthly Magazine for those who Practise (sic) Photography. Edited by T.C. Hepworth. Circa June 1, 1886.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/The-Camera-1886-London-960x538.png)
Camera Craft
San Francisco, California. Published 1900-1942.
![Front cover of Camera Craft magazine, circa 1905.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-9.07.01-AM-edited.png)
Camera Notes
New York. Published 1897-1903.
![](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-1.56.00-PM-960x405.png)
Down-Town Topics
New York. Published 1902-1913.
![Down-Town Topics, published by the Obrig Camera Co. from 1902 - 1913.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-1.48.38-PM-960x267.png)
The Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal
Liverpool, England. Published 1957-1859.
![Nameplate for the Liverpool and Manchester Photographic Journal, a precursor to the British Journal of Photography, which is still in publication today.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Mag-T-shirt-960x566.jpg)
Paine’s Photographic Magazine
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Published 1899-1901.
![Paine's Photographic Magazine: A Monthly Journal, Devoted to the Interests of Amateur Photographers. Published in Milwaukee from 1899-1901.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Paines-Milwaukee-1899-960x418.png)
The Philadelphia Photographer
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Published 1864-1888.
![Masthead for The Philadelphia Photographer January, 1870 issue.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/The-Philadelphia-Photographer-1870-960x437.png)
The Photo-Beacon
Chicago, Illinois. Published 1901-1906.
![Masthead for The Photo-Beacon, published in Chicago.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-5.03.04-PM-960x431.png)
The Photographic Journal of America
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Published 1864-1923.
![The Photographic Journal of America January, 1916 name plate.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-10.08.24-AM.png)
The Photographic Monthly
London, England. Published 1906-1908.
![Printed cover for the Photographic Monthly, May 1906 issue.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Photographic-Monthly-1907-London.png)
The Photo-Miniature: A Magazine of Photographic Information
New York. Published 1899-1920.
![April 1899 masthead for The Photo-Miniature: A Magazine of Photographic Information.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-10.17.21-AM-960x379.png)
Wilson’s Photographic Magazine
New York. Published 1889-1914.
![Masthead for Wilson's Photographic Magazine, January 1891 issue.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/nyp-33433060399288-17-1613789913-1.jpg)
The Photographic Times and American Photographer
New York. Published 1871-1888.
![The Photographic Times and American Photographer, circa 1888.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-1.38.41-PM-960x347.png)
Western Camera Notes
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Published 1899-1907.
![Masthead for Western Camera Notes, a monthly magazine of pictorial photography. January 1901 issue.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-21-at-1.27.32-PM-960x352.png)
Thanks for reading.
Be sure to visit me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, or on my website at keithdotson.com.
~ Keith