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VINTAGE CENTENNIAL ISSUE MAY 1889 SUN & SHADE #9 PHOTO-GRAVURE PERIODICAL BOOK , OR MAGZINE . THIS ISSUE HAS BY PERMISSION A TIFFANY OFFICIAL INVITATION ..THIS BOOK IS COMPLETE WITH ALL PHOTO-GRAVURES LISTED IN CONTENTS. I AM LISTING NUMBER 1 THROUGH NUMBER 36. A TOTAL OF 36 ISSUES, SO PLEASE CHECK MY LISTING FOR MORE....... "The Photo-Gravure Company" of New York. These plates were made by a company whose founder and president, Ernest Edwards, was already a legend in the photographic and printing trades. Edwards had excelled as a portrait photographer in London, 1860's. He was also the inventor of the heliograph process, a seminal printing method for the reproduction of photographs. Edwards was brought to Boston in 1872 as manager of the Heliotype Corp. of Mass.(part of James R. Osgood Co.) who had bought the rights to his invention. Edwards left Heliotype Co. in 1885 and set up shop in New York City as the Photo-Gravure Co.[NOTE:Osgood & Co. abruptly went bankrupt in May,1885, which
is probably why Edwards left Boston.] Its primary work was high class printing, plate making and lithography. Two years later Edwards introduces a monthly subscription series titled "Sun & Shade" a large (11x14") publication of fine art and photography in the form of very high quality gelatin and gravure plates. And also noteworthy, Edwards locates his company in the same office building(853 Broadway) as Edward L. Wilson, the publisher of the Philadelphia Photographer magazine (and later Wilson's Photographics). The two worked often in concert, Edwards making gravures of images to be included in Wilson's magazine, and Wilson editorializing about Edwards' work and company. There does not seem to have been an actual business connection - ownership wise, between them, just mutually interested in each others work and occasionally giving work to each other.
As regards Arnold, the choice of Ernest Edwards is interesting. Edwards was
certainly not the cheapest, but was generally considered one of the finest art
printers around. The cost I'm sure was high. In several printing and photo
magazines from 1888 many references are made to the new process by
Edwards of making tinted plates-gravures and gelatin based.
Not surprisingly, many of Arnold's plates are just that - tinted a rose or green,
and I suspect at a higher price. Arnold certainly had high-class goods in mind
when these were produced. It appears also that the plates were made as
individual pieces that could be sold, each bearing a title, notations and the title
of the book on each plate. It would seem the "book" might have been a small
run of bound plates. They are very difficult to find as a book. NOTES ON ERNEST EDWARDS: When Edwards arrived in New York in 1885 the company was organized with Edwards as president. Obviously others were involved
as financial backers/owners but the exact business arrangement is not known. The operation consisted of offices at 853 Broadway (Domestic Sewing Machine bldg.)
and a printing plant in Brooklyn. In the Nov. 5,1886 issue of the Photographic Times
& American Photographer it was reported, "We recently visited the works of the Photo-Gravure Co. in Brooklyn at the invitation of the President Ernest Edwards.
Part of the building was a private dwelling , other parts formed the winter quarters
for a circus-a place now a court between the buildings." These buildings originally belonged to the American Photo-Lithographic Co.and were now the photographic, platemaking and printing operations for the Photo-Gravure co. They were located at Third Ave. & Tenth St., Brooklyn.(or 3rd Av. & 10th St.) The company was originally formed to do high grade printing, lithography, gelatin and gravure plate making.
A little over two years later the company introduced a superbly printed monthly
called "Sun & Shade - A Photographic Record of Events.Published monthly with
an Art Supplement in Photo-Gravure".
The first issue was scheduled to appear in mid-summer but production delays slowed the initial issue to be distributed in September. Arnold's work was carried in both the first issue, Edgeware church, (where gravestone date was found) and third (Nov 1888), Tower of Catherine de Medici, Blois, France. Which again reinforces the fact that
Arnold was obviously acquainted with the company and/or Edwards himself, prior to
its first issue being released. To be included in the first issue of what was meant to be a very high class periodical was, I think, significant in that Arnold may not have been as obscure a photographer as some individuals stated later at the Columbian Exposition. At least within the community of New York some photo professionals
must have felt his work was of a high enough artistic standard to have been published in this widely publicized magazine.
NOTE: Special thanks to Helena E. Wright, Curator, Division Graphic Arts
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, who
for many years has been most helpful in supplying information on
the history of printing and the work of Ernest Edwards.. Please see pictures. Displays well. . ALL ITEMS ON MY SITE ARE GUARANTEE TO BE 100% VINTAGE, AND NOT REPRODUCTIONS. Please email me if you have any questions, thank you.
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