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Detail: “Phoebus”: by George Wharton Edwards: American 1859-1950: multiple-color woodcut used as part of cover illustration for periodical “Sun & Shade”: New York: December, 1890: whole #28: N.Y. Photo-Gravure Co.: 32.1 x 25.3 cm | 35.3 x 28.0 cm: from: PhotoSeed Archive
“Christmas Eve”: by Sir John Everett Millais: English 1829-1896: photogravure published in periodical “Sun & Shade”: New York: December, 1890: whole #28: N.Y. Photo-Gravure Co.: 19.2 x 15.7 cm | 34.9 x 27.2 cm: from: PhotoSeed Archive
Detail: “A Merry Christmas”: Emilie V. Clarkson: American 1863-1946: photogravure published in periodical “Sun & Shade”: New York: December, 1890: whole #28: N.Y. Photo-Gravure Co.: 20.1 x 14.5 cm | 34.9 x 27.2 cm: from: PhotoSeed Archive
Detail: “We Praise Thee O Lord” (“Sang with many a change Christmas carols until morn.”: Emilie V. Clarkson: American 1863-1946: photogravure published in periodical “Sun & Shade”: New York: December, 1890: whole #28: N.Y. Photo-Gravure Co.: 20.0 x 15.5 cm | 34.9 x 27.2 cm: from: PhotoSeed Archive
Detail: “Christmas Morning by the Sea” (alt: Winter’s Touch on Land And Sea”: Mrs. J.M. Appleton: American: photogravure published in periodical “Sun & Shade”: New York: December, 1890: whole #28: N.Y. Photo-Gravure Co.: 10.5 x 16.1 cm | 34.9 x 27.2 cm: from: PhotoSeed Archive
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Yesterday officially marked one year since I launched PhotoSeed.com as a public site and I wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit or who has inadvertently stumbled upon us. To date, this site has had tremendous world-wide reach in its short life, with hundreds of thousands of page views perused by visitors hailing from a total of 163 countries & territories. In addition, PhotoSeed received a Webby, the highest industry award for a website in the Art category during a ceremony in New York City this past May. And who knew we could count a very loyal following from those residing in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City? I’m not a micro-focused person by any means, but the wonders of Google Analytics never cease to amaze.
C.M. Whitney, (Chester Moulton) American, b. 1873: “Peter” or “A High Jumper”: 1907: vintage gelatin-silver photograph: image: 19.1 x 14.7 cm | primary support: 20.4 x 15.4 cm | secondary support: 30.5 x 25.4 cm : from: PhotoSeed Archive
My plans and goals for the next year are many. Ultimately, I would like to devote my time to the site full-time, with the means of supporting this dream through a combination of an online sales gallery selling vintage material, licensing agreements, and, perhaps, select archival reproductions for purchase. As always, your suggestions are welcome as I approach this fork in the road, and I sincerely welcome your input and ideas going forward. As my own time allows, it is my intent to continue building on my own evolving scholarship as I assess and then post material from the vintage work making up the PhotoSeed Archive. As I’ve said before, there is every reason to “get it right” the first time, and I don’t see it as a race.
And so it is my honor, delight, and satisfaction to be able to shine light and—hold for this metaphor—let the creative flowers from my photographic brothers and sisters bloom after hiding in the dark far too long. I hope you enjoy the discoveries and continue the journey with us.
-David Spencer