A rare surviving title page, a woodcut believed to be by American artist George Wharton Edwards, (1859-1950) (1.) for the very first issue of “Sun & Shade” A Photographic Record of Events.

Note the lettering around the border: “The Glorious Sun: Stays In His Course And Plays The Alchemist”. Also, within the body of the overall composition: “Here is a Wonder, if You Talk of a Wonder”; SUNLIGHT, ELECTRICITY, “LUX FECIT” (“he or she made it with light”) MAGNESIUM. Above, a nude maiden (probably the Sun God Phoebus, (Apollo) one of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology) who catches a lightning bolt with her outstretched left hand.

Published by the The Photo-Gravure Company of New York by Ernest Edwards, Sun & Shade, according to the volume “Imagining Paradise”, “grew from less than fifty subscribers to a monthly edition of four thousand copies” in its first year. “With emphasis on quality rather than quantity, the magazine transformed itself from its original concept of a “Photographic Record of Events” to an “Artistic Periodical”, and would feature many fine photogravure plates, mainly from photographs but also artwork.

In truth, the first issue was so successful, selling 1000 copies, that it wouldn’t be until October, 1888 when the second issue was published, after an editorial revamping due to a large public interest.

The following are first: an advertisement outlining the aims of the new publication written before the July, 1888 issue (2.)  followed by editorial comments in the October, 1888 issue with the new changes and direction.

“SUN AND SHADE,”

A PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF EVENTS, PUBLISHED MONTHLY, WITH AN ART SUPPLEMENT IN PHOTO-GRAVURE,

By THE PHOTO-GRAVURE COMPANY, 853 Broadway, New York,

Is a modest attempt to further a promising acquaintance between the photographic processes of reproduction and the public.

Although for years these processes have been constantly growing in use in illustration, they are still not known as they ought to be. Of the higher, more delicate, and artistic of them especially, there is, considering their really marvelous results, surprisingly little knowledge, and that associated only with foreign names, such as Goupil and Braun. Yet in this city work is produced which can challenge the best product of foreign presses. Though the commoner processes are appearing everywhere, in the art magazine as in the daily newspaper, few have learned to distinguish their results from wood-engraving; while expert art-critics confuse widely different photo-processes, and allude to process-prints as “etchings” and woodcuts.

This Journal will endeavor to set forth the capabilities of the direct re-productive processes- those presenting their subject without intervention. Of plates by these processes it will be exclusively composed. For subjects “SUN AND SHADE” will search the broadest field, the whole life of the times, and will combine with the work of the brush and pencil the best work of the camera.

In these busy latter days, the story of the world must be largely told by pictures. They speak the only universal language.

From the specialist’s point of view, not only the process engraver, but the photographer, amateur, and professional, the painter, illustrator, and draughtsman as well, will find material to help him.

On all such we call for contributions. Above all we ask photographers to send us negatives of interest from their art or their subject; current events; good detective and instantaneous bits; plates remarkable in any way; and with that excellent spirit they have always shown, to help us make “SUN AND SHADE” a bright, efficient, interesting record of events by photographic processes.

The first number will be issued in July. Among its contents will be a photogravure plate from an oil painting by Lerolle, “The Knitting Girl;” portraits of the nominees of the two great parties for the Presidency; a theatrical picture, “The Minuet;” a sheet of yacht views, from instantaneous photographs; and various other photographically and artistically interesting plates.

Each number will contain not less than 12 pages of prints by the finer photographic reproduction processes, and a supplement plate in photo-gravure.

Contributions and subscriptions should be addressed to

The Editor “SUN AND SHADE,”

853 Broadway, New York.

SUBSCRIPTION, $3.00 PER VEAR, POST-PAID. SINGLE NUMBERS, 30 CENTS

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Contents page: Sun & Shade: Vol. 1  October, 1888. No. 2

The first number of “Sun and Shade” has met with a most flattering reception. Though a novel departure in many ways, the opinions of the press have been uniformly favorable. The first edition, of 1000 copies, was exhausted within a fortnight after publication, and a second is now in press.

Its welcome, in fact, has proved so unexpectedly hearty that it has necessitated considerable changes in the programme originally laid out. The attempt to bring the results of the direct processes a little more into every day use has excited an unforeseen degree of interest. Instead of a modest technical journal, with a limited clientele, attracted by tastes for photography and its work or for reproductive engraving, we find in our hands the beginnings of a generally circulating and popular journal of art and illustration.

Under these circumstances we are compelled to make arrangements to issue a more ambitious periodical in a much larger edition.

We have decided to pass the two last months, and entitling this the October number, to issue regularly hereafter on or before the first of each month.

The form of the journal will remain unchanged, except in details. The quality of the plates will be higher, and in choosing their subjects effort will be made to have in each number something of special interest to special classes of our subscribers. whether artists, students, photographers, architects, the theatrical profession, or that larger special class–the public.

Desiring to fully represent modern photographic reproduction, we have given, in this and the preceding number, several plates by the more common and comparatively ruder processes. These are less attractive from the artistic and popular, and perhaps even from the technical, point of view. The question has been discussed whether it would not be well to depend almost entirely on the higher and more artistic processes, even if the number of plates in each number was reduced by one or two, as the increased expense of such processes would necessitate. This is a question upon which we desire to consult our patrons; and we ask the expression of their opinion upon it, as upon other points connected with this publication, in which their interest is as great as our own.

1. Many of the stylistic features, including the hand-drawn lettering of “Sun & Shade” are comparably the same between the first issue (non-credited) and those beginning in September, 1890 (No. 25) featuring a different and much larger version of Phoebus, when George Wharton Edwards is given cover credit.
2. This advertisement from The Photographic Times: August 17, 1888