A visual history of the Guardian Weekly

For almost a century, the Guardian Weekly has extended the UK newspaper’s liberal voice to a global readership. Taken from the GNM archives, these pictures chart the Weekly’s life and times from 1919 to the present day

A short written history of the Guardian Weekly: celebrating our success

Main image: Guardian Weekly cover compilation Composite: Guardian archive

  • The Manchester Guardian Weekly was launched on 4 July 1919 with the aim of ‘presenting what is best and most interesting in the Manchester Guardian … in a compact weekly form’.
    Guardian Weekly, July 4 1919, page 1

  • The first photo on record of a Guardian Weekly team, taken in 1921. From left, J Leech, AP Thomson, C O’Leary, J Dicks and M Anderson.
    The Guardian Weekly team in 1921 from left, Miss J Leech; Mr A. P. Thomson; Mr C. O’Leary, Mr J Dicks and Miss M. Anderson

  • The Manchester Guardian Weekly was originally printed from the Manchester Guardian’s offices in Manchester. This image shows typesetters working on Linotype machines in the composing room in May 1921.
    Typesetters working on Linotype machines in the composing room of the Manchester Guardian’s offices in Cross Street, Manchester, May 1921.

  • Reporters working for the Manchester Guardian in 1921, whose writing would have likely featured in the Manchester Guardian Weekly. Back row: M Anderson, CR Green, AV Cookman, EJ Wrigley, JF Sullivan, F Appleby, H Boardman. Front row: RH Spring, H Lockett, HD Nichols, W Biggs.
    Reporters working for the Manchester Guardian in 1921.

  • Until 1968, the Weekly was produced using type that had already been set for the daily paper. John Perkin, who later became editor, said in an unpublished memoir: ‘It must be confessed that the Weekly looked pretty shoddy at this stage.’
    Printing processes at the Manchester Guardian,[c1940s-c1950s]

  • The office on Cross Street in Manchester where the Manchester Guardian Weekly was based until 1969.
    The office on Cross Street in Manchester where the Manchester Guardian Weekly was based until 1969

  • An advert in the Guardian Weekly in 1939 for luxury international travel via steamer.
    An advert in the Guardian Weekly in 1939 for luxury international travel via steamer

  • The Manchester Guardian Weekly was banned from Germany in 1932 by the Nazi regime. After the second world war ended, and British newspapers were again allowed in Germany, there was a large demand for the Manchester Guardian Weekly. To save costs, the paper began printing in Hamburg.
    The Manchester Guardian Weekly was banned from Germany in 1932 by the Nazi regime. After the second world war ended, and British newspapers were again allowed in Germany, there was a large demand for the Manchester Guardian Weekly. To save costs, the paper began printing in Hamburg.

  • The Manchester Guardian Weekly on sale at a bookstall in Hamburg. Date unknown.
    The Manchester Guardian Weekly on sale at a bookstall in Hamburg. Date unknown

  • An advertisement in the US for the Guardian Weekly in 1964. It used an adaptation of a Durer engraving of ‘The Flagellation’ from the ‘Grand Passion’, in which the central figure of Christ was adapted to have him holding the Guardian Weekly. The text read: ‘A subscriber to the Manchester Guardian is not just one of the crowd!’ In London, Laurence Scott was not amused: ‘It seems that this is giving great offence, and I am not surprised,’ he wrote to Rex Hearn, head of the New York office.
    An advertisement in America for the Guardian Weekly in 1964, which used an adaptation of a Durer engraving of “The Flagellation” from the “Grand Passion”, in which the central figure of Christ was adapted to have him holding the Guardian Weekly. The text read: “A subscriber to the Manchester Guardian is not just one of the crowd!”

  • John Perkin, the Guardian Weekly’s editor from 1969 to 1993.
    John Perkin, Guardian Weekly’s editor from 1969 to 1993.

  • The cover of the Guardian Weekly’s end of year edition in 1969. By this stage ‘Manchester’ had been dropped from the title, except in the North America editions, and images had been introduced on the cover.
    The cover of Guardian Weekly’s end of year edition 1969.

  • Patrick Ensor, the Guardian Weekly’s editor from 1993 until he died in 2007.
    Patrick Ensor, Guardian Weekly’s editor

  • The Guardian Weekly front from July 1997, covering the handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China.
    The Guardian Weekly cover from July 1997, covering the historical handover of Hong Kong from UK to China

  • The Guardian Weekly team in 2002, outside the main Farringdon Road office, from left, Pushpinder Khaneka, Andrew Dick, Craig MacKie, Patrick Ensor, Jim Falzarano and Claire Daly
    The Guardian Weekly team, outside 119 Farringdon Road, from left, Pushpinder Khaneka; Andrew Dick; Craig MacKie; Patrick Ensor; Jim Falzarano and Claire Daly

  • The Guardian Weekly moved to the Guardian’s new office in Kings Cross towards the end of 2008.
    The Guardian office, Kings Place

  • The Guardian Weekly team in 2014: from left, Emily El Nusairi, Neil Willis, Abby Deveney, Graham Snowdon and Isobel Montgomery.
    The Guardian Weekly editor Abby Deveney (centre) with her team in 2014.

  • The Guardian Weekly’s production editor, Neil Willis, works on the 2014 Christmas edition.
    Guardian Weekly’s production editor Neil Willis works on the Christmas edition 2014

  • The Guardian Weekly rolling off the presses, taken during a recent team visit to the print site in Stratford, east London.
    Guardian Weekly rolling off the presses, taken during a recent team visit to the print site

  • The Guardian Weekly on display at a central London newsagent’s in November 2016.
    The Guardian Weekly on display in a central London newsagent in November 2016

  • The first Guardian Weekly edition on sale after the US election result that stunned the world.
    First Guardian Weekly edition on sale after the US election result that stunned the world
Topics