Sketchy Journalism | The Frontline Newsletter

Dear reader,

In the early 1800s, a provincial news agent from Nottingham in the UK made an observation that changed publishing in unimaginable ways. Herbert Ingram noticed that newspapers containing woodcut illustrations consistently outsold their text-only counterparts.

Woodcut illustrations are a type of relief printmaking, where an image is carved into a block of wood, the raised surfaces are inked, then printed on the paper.

Ingram conceived a revolutionary idea: a weekly magazine centred around visual content. Obviously, this had not been a possibility until then. His insight eventually—though not immediately—led to the creation of The Illustrated London News, the world’s first fully illustrated weekly newspaper, earning him the unofficial title of the “father of pictorial journalism”.

With its compelling combination of current events and detailed engravings, Ingram’s publication introduced a new era in mass media. Visual storytelling became as integral to journalism as the written word itself. Very soon, the innovation rippled through the publishing industry, setting the stage for the rich and varied history of illustrated periodicals that followed.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And an illustrated magazine combines both image and word. But for purists, an illustrated magazine is not merely an article with a photograph. As the name suggests, it requires an illustration rather than a photo, along with other elements that later became hallmarks of a series of publications that transformed the way we consume news, fiction, and all forms of literature—shaping culture, politics, and, more importantly, our reading habits.

Later advances in wood engraving allowed publishers to produce affordable periodicals filled with illustrations, with Charles Knight’s The Penny Magazine (established 1832) in Britain making illustrated content accessible to the working class. But The Illustrated London News and Ingram set the gold standard and the publication reached a circulation of 3,00,000 copies by the 1860s—a number that would make modern influencers envious. It continued its journey for over a century, finally closing shop—hold your breath—in 2003.

The trend of pictorial journalism also spread across Europe. France’s L’Illustration (first published in 1843) and Germany’s Illustrirte Zeitung (also 1843) brought visual storytelling to the continent. L’Illustration was the first French newspaper to carry a photograph on its pages. In the US, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (founded in 1855) and Harper & Brothers’ Harper’s Weekly (started in 1857) blended imagery with prose, drawing large audiences.

History records James R. O’Neill, a freelancer for Leslie’s paper, as likely the only Civil War correspondent to make the ultimate sacrifice—killed in action. Artists like Thomas Nast sketched battlefield scenes and political cartoons for Harper’s Weekly, introducing readers to the war’s brutal realities. Nast’s work popularised symbols like the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey, which continue to be used even today.

Illustrated magazines soon became a global phenomenon. In Japan, Jogaku Sekai blended Western printing with traditional art. In India, The Illustrated Weekly of India (which began publication in 1880) bridged cultures during the colonial period. Australia’s The Illustrated Sydney News (established 1853) helped shape national identity. As a vital source for visually documenting 19th-century Australian life and a pioneer in photographic reproduction in the nation’s media, it became a key historical record, offering unique insights into colonial Australia.

In hindsight, illustrated weeklies did more than embellish pages—they democratised information. Before cinema and broadcast media, these magazines were the only way for people to “see” distant events, famous figures, or foreign lands.

And their political influence was immense. Take the British magazine Punch or America’s Puck, both of which used satirical illustrations to drive social change. The Graphic exposed urban squalor, spurring housing reform. During the Crimean War (1853–1856), British illustrated papers portrayed heroic battle scenes. These images and stories played a major role in shaping public opinion.

Illustrated magazines also had a deep impact on literary culture. Many 19th-century novels first appeared in serial form in periodicals. Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy published in this format, with illustrations shaping how readers visualised their works. The illustrated press also democratised knowledge. Scientific American (first published 1845) used diagrams to explain complex concepts, making them accessible to general audiences.

By the early 20th century, illustrated weeklies faced competition from cinema and newspapers with photo sections. But they adapted. How? By specialising. The Illustrated London News fully embraced photojournalism, while LIFE (started in 1936) became iconic for its photographic reporting.

Margaret Bourke-White’s photographs for LIFE brought the horrors of the Holocaust into American homes. It was television’s rise after World War II that finally diminished the influence of the illustrated periodicals. By the 1960s, many struggled to stay relevant. The Illustrated London News ceased weekly publication in 1971. LIFE transitioned to a monthly format in 1978 before shutting down in 2000. Very few, like The New Yorker, continue the journey.

Coming home, India’s illustrated press developed uniquely—initially powered by colonialism, then nationalism. Regional illustrated magazines also flourished, with Bengali publications like Basumati (started in 1874) and Prabasi or Malayalam weeklies like Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly (first published 1932), Malayala Manorama Weekly (1937), and Bhashaposhini (1892). The Bengali Desh, published by Anandabazar Patrika, serialised works by Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray. In Hindi, illustrated magazines like Dharmyug (began in 1949), Sarika (1964), and Kadambini (1960) defined middle-class Hindi literary tastes. Dharmyug published works by Premchand, Krishna Sobti, and Mohan Rakesh.

As the independence movement gained momentum, illustrated weeklies became nationalist platforms. While The Modern Review (founded in 1907) used cartoons and visual storytelling to critique colonial rule, Shankar’s Weekly (1948) used cartoons to critique post-independence politics, culture, and governance. K. Shankar Pillai, who founded Shankar’s Weekly, is regarded as the father of Indian cartooning and used satire for nation-building.

After independence, The Illustrated Weekly of India peaked under editor Khushwant Singh (1969–78). With a circulation of 4,00,000, it became one of Asia’s most widely read English-language periodicals and provided a platform for writers like R.K. Narayan, Nissim Ezekiel, and Dom Moraes, while its photojournalism introduced readers to distant corners of India.

Interestingly, Malayalam is possibly the only language in which illustrated weeklies still enjoy impressive circulation, although Tamil weeklies like Ananda Vikatan (1926) and Kalki (1941)—which mix humour, satire, and fiction with bold illustrations—still thrive.

By the late 20th century, television and digital media began to kill the influence of illustrated weeklies. The Illustrated Weekly of India ceased publication in 1993. But their legacy continued in one way or another. Magazines like Frontline, India Today, and Outlook evolved the tradition of visual storytelling, although very few can afford to allocate space for fiction or even illustrations today.

Frontline, however, tries its best to keep the idea alive. Besides regular photo essays of the highest order, it publishes one short story a month, translated from regional languages, illustrated by the talented Siddharth Sengupta. And, of course, it has the fabulous last page The Dystopian Times graphic by the inimitable Appupen.

Today, digital comics, multimedia journalism, social media infographics, memes, and interactive stories carry forward the legacy of illustrated magazines in the digital age, while online journalism has introduced dynamic, immersive elements to visual storytelling.

Looking back, one can say that illustrated periodicals were the original multimedia platforms—the precursors to today’s digital storytelling.

With these thoughts, I invite you to read a great piece by my colleague Abhirami Girija Sriram, written to mark the 300th edition of the Tamil illustrated literary magazine Kalachuvadu, a publication that stands testament to the resilience and resistance of literary journalism in regional languages.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts. Were you a fan of illustrated magazines? Do you still have a cherished stash hidden in the attic? Share your notes, memories, and pictures with us!

Wishing you a lovely week ahead,

Jinoy Jose P.

Digital Editor, Frontline

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