The New York Press Photographers Association was formed in 1915 when a group of 58 News Photographers of New York gathered on April 17 at the Castle Cave Restaurant. They formed a fraternal organization where news photographers could meet on social occasions and exchange ideas and get to know one another better, instead of always meeting on the run at breaking news stories.

In those days the city was served by eleven daily newspapers and was the headquarters of numerous wire services and syndicates. Newspaper Row was along Park Row just across from City Hall. There papers like The Journal, The Herald, The Telegram, The Tribune, Evening World, The American and syndicates like Brown Brothers, Acme, Gideon Service, Baine and Central News all tried to out scoop each other.

Although these organizations are now long gone, New York is still the media capital of the world and the New York Press Photographers Association is the oldest press organization in the world, still existing to serve working photographers as a professional and social organization. The Association members work for news organizations in the print and electronic media based within a seventy-five mile radius of Manhattan.

The Association:

• Sponsors regular meetings for social and educational purposes.
• It maintains a liaison with Governmental agencies whose actions directly affect the Media.
• Maintains a committee to work out credentialing and working problems with the various college and professional sports teams.
• Maintains one of the best blood bank programs in the region.
• Publishes a regular newsletter.
• Holds an annual contest with an exhibit and an awards dinner and dance.
• Holds an annual Sports Awards dinner and a Christmas Party (which benefits under privileged children).
• Holds other social events such as boat rides, fishing trips, and picnics.
• Each year publishes the New York Press Photographer, a book displaying the work of the members from the annual contest.