It was founded in New York City in 1873 by Canadian engravers George-Édouard Desbarats and William Leggo, and began publication in March of that year.

Flush with their printing success in Canada, Desbarats and Leggo relocated to New York in 1873 to found The Daily Graphic.

[4] Mark Twain wryly commented to Croly after seeing the first issue: "I don't care much about reading ... but I do like to look at pictures, and the illustrated weeklies do not come as often as I need them.

[5][6] An early publicity stunt pulled by the Graphic in 1873 was the sponsoring of a cross-Atlantic balloon trip by Washington Donaldson.

[7] Engraver Stephen Henry Horgan helped push the photographic printing efforts of the paper.