Collector’s Guide, Photo London 2018
by Birgit Filzmaier
Learning about collecting photography by asking questions.
But what are the relevant questions? What criteria should be considered before acquiring a photograph? What do I need to know to feel confident with my decision? Beside the emotional enthusiasm and the visual attraction, there is a combination of criteria that determine the value of a photograph.
Who is the photographer?
- What is the artist’s significance in the history of photography as well as in the current photography market?
- Are there any publications on the photographer’s work?
- Are museums or major private collections acquiring and exhibiting the photographer’s work?
- Is this particular photograph important within the oeuvre of the photographer?
- Is the work of the photographer rare in the art market?
- For early career photographers is there a commitment and constancy in the work? Have they developed new ideas/directions? Do they have a distinctive vision? An authentic concept?
What is the “curriculum vitae” of a particular photograph?
- What is the history of ownership (provenance)?
- Has the photograph been published?
- Has the photograph been exhibited?
- In which museum or important private collections are other prints or variants of this photograph?
When was the photograph printed?
The reproducibility of photography is one of the key problems of understanding the medium. One has to keep in mind that any print developed in the darkroom may vary from the next one made by the same negative. When evaluating a photograph, it is important to know when the print was taken from the negative.
Vintage print: Prints made by the photographer or under his supervision around the time the original negative was created.
Printed later: Prints made from the original negative
by the photographer or under his supervision years or decades later. A photograph may be printed differently at various stages of a photographer’s career.This can be due to a change in the photographer’s interpretation of the negative, or changes in available materials (e.g. photographic paper).
Estate/posthumous prints: These are prints that are posthumously made from the original negative.
What is the technique? Analogue or digital?
Until the 1990s, photographs were taken on film and developed in a darkroom (analogue process).There are a large number of different paper types and processes, from 19th-century calotypes and albumen prints, to silver gelatin prints and platinum prints, to colour processes like C-prints, Cibachrome and Dye Transfer.
Since the invention of digital photography and digital printing in the mid-1990s, inkjet and pigment prints have become common, and have since significantly improved in quality and durability. Some contemporary photographers, such as Vera Lutter or Adam Fuss, revisit early photographic processes, like camera obscura or daguerrotypes, to create unique objects that are not reproducible.
What is the edition of the photograph?
Until the 1970s, few photographers limited the editions of their photographs or kept records of the number of prints. As photography established itself as a collectible medium in the 1970s and 1980s, the question of “infinite reproducibility” and rarity came to the fore. Increasingly, photographers started to limit the number of prints from a negative.Today, editions are widespread, and often the selling price increases if more copies of an edition have already sold (step-pricing).The same image can have multiple editions in different sizes and/or techniques. In addition some photographers decide to sell their limited APs (artist proofs) once the edition is sold out.
What is the condition?
On the one hand this concerns the physical condition of a print (handling marks, scratches, stains, fingerprints, colour changes etc.). On the other hand it has to do with the print quality, as prints from the same negative may have a different quality due to the individual darkroom work (contrast, tonality, tonal ranges, luminosity etc.). Contemporary photographs should always be in excellent condition owing to the recent print date and the fact that they are often printed digitally.
Is the photograph signed?
In the 19th and early 20th century, signing a photograph was the exception. With the rise of the photography market, the practice of signing became more common.Today, photographers sign their work either on the recto (front)
or on the verso (back) of the print or mount.The verso of
the print or mount usually provides additional information, which can include; photographer’s stamps, copyright stamps, signature, title, date, edition number, dedication, exhibition labels, annotations by the photographer.
Are there additional costs on top of the retail price?
- What is the currency of the retail price?
- Is the VAT included?
- Who is covering the shipping, packing, crating and insurance costs, as well as any customs duties?
- Are there any extra costs for mounting, matting and framing?
Who owns the negatives and the copyright?
The negatives or digital scans stay with the photographer or go to museum archives or estates after the photographer’s death. Likewise, the copyright remains with the photographer or the archive/estate, which means, if you own a photograph, you do not automatically have the right to reproduce or publish it without asking for permission.
What should you consider when building a photography collection?
Collecting photography is an exciting area for new collectors. From a price-point perspective, photography is one of the more accessible mediums to collect – especially compared to modern and contemporary painting and sculpture. Photography still offers the possibility of building a collection of significance and quality.
Building a collection engages the emotions (love of the object, passion) and more rational consideration (evaluation and connoisseurism). Moreover, to transform an accumulation into a collection, it needs a focus, a thread that runs through the collection and allows for change. After all, a collection is the mirror of your own visions and emotions and their changes.The focus of the collection should be defined by taking into account: one’s individual taste, personal budget and availability of the work in the photography market.
The focus may be a period of time (19th-century, 20th- century, contemporary photography), a concentration on a certain art historical movement (Bauhaus, Surrealism, Modernism, etc.), a specialisation in a theme (landscapes, portraits, nudes, still life, architecture, etc.) or a geographical area, like the fascinating world of Japanese photography. As the boundaries between art and commercial photography have become fluid, fashion photography in particular has become a popular collection theme in recent years.
If you are going to acquire your first photograph, or if you are considering building a photography collection, start your journey with passion and curiosity by looking at original photographs, developing a feeling for quality, by asking the right questions... and by trusting your eyes.
©Birgit Filzmaier