Whether it involves celebrity autographs, movie posters, fine art prints, baseball cards, postcards or antique figurines, collecting can be good clean fun for boys and girls of all ages. However, all areas of collecting have fakes, reprints and scams. The following is a brief but important list of tips that the beginner should read before … Continue reading Tips for newbie collectors of most anything
Month: February 2013
What authenticity is
In all areas of collecting, from movie memorabilia to oil paintings, something is authentic if its true identity is described accurately and sincerely.If you pay good money for an “original 1930 Greta Garbo photograph by the famous Hollywood photographer George Hurrell,” you expect to receive an original 1930 Greta Garbo photo by George Hurrell. You … Continue reading What authenticity is
“I bought what was advertised as the proof of an old magazine cover. It’s made up of two sheets of paper loosely connected together. The front paper is very thin, almost like tissue paper. The backing paper is thick. Is this kosher, because I’ve never seen anything like it?”
What you describe is consistant with a genuine proof. The thin on thick paper is called chine aplique, and some proofs are chine appliques.
“If a photograph has the stamp with a famous photographer’s name does that mean it’s original?”
No. The photographer's stamp most often means the photograph was made by or with the permission of the photographer. This alone makes the presence of a famous photographer's stamp desirable to photo collectors. However, photographers sometimes make reprints and 'years after' photographs, so the stamp does not automatically mean the photograph is a vintage original.If … Continue reading “If a photograph has the stamp with a famous photographer’s name does that mean it’s original?”
“What does ‘photographic print’ mean?”
The term photographic print can be confusing, as the 'print' can imply an ink and printing press print like a lithograph or etching.A photographic print is a photograph made, or 'printed,' from a negative or transparency. A transparency works the same as a negative, but the image is positive instead of negative. The vast majority … Continue reading “What does ‘photographic print’ mean?”
“Can a poster be original art, or are they all reproductions of something else?”
Most posters are photomechanical prints, meaning the graphics are reproductions of some photo or other art. However, a number of posters are original prints. Pablo Picasso and Mark Chagall made original art advertising posters. Most pre American Civil War posters are original art, as the modern photomechanical processes weren't yet in use.
Reprints of Ken Wel Advertising Signs
Ken Wel was a well known vintage baseball glove manufacturer. They issued a number of attractive glove advertisements, the best known featuring Lou Gehrig. Cardboard reprints of the signs are common on the market, but many are simple to identify. The most common reprints have little metal rimmed eyelets near the top—metal rimmed holes for … Continue reading Reprints of Ken Wel Advertising Signs
Question: “I’ve recently started collecting photographs, and I notice that there are different names for color photos, like c-print. What is the significance with these names?”
Though few photo collectors know it, it’s an easy lesson to learn. There are four standard color photographic processes/prints: c-print (chromogentic), dye-transfer, Cibachrome and Polaroid. The popular significance attached to each process is the quality and durability of the images. Some have better images than others, and some images last longer than others. Brief summary … Continue reading Question: “I’ve recently started collecting photographs, and I notice that there are different names for color photos, like c-print. What is the significance with these names?”
“Is etching and engraving the same thing?”
Etching and engraving are different though closely related prints/printing techniques. They are both members of the intaglio class of printing, and the techniques are centuries old. If you look at the typical engraving and typical etching placed side be side, it's easy to identify which one is which. The typical engraving has conservative, stoic, conservative lines like … Continue reading “Is etching and engraving the same thing?”
What’s the easiest way to tell if a Salvador Dali print for sale is genuine?
It's safest to buy a Dali that comes with an authentic LOA from Albert Field/Dali Archives. Field knew Dali and was a world famous Dali expert. He provided LOAs for many Dali works, often placing a Dali Archives stamp on the work itself. Though Field died a couple of years ago, The Dali Archives still … Continue reading What’s the easiest way to tell if a Salvador Dali print for sale is genuine?
Looking at Artifacts and Ideas 