E-Photo
Issue #100  1/8/2006
 
100th E-Photo Newsletter

This is the 100th issue of the E-Photo Newsletter, which I began rather modestly nearly seven years ago. It started because a number of friends, collectors and dealers had continued to ask me about the results of the Sotheby's Southworth & Hawes auction (April 1999). Instead of repeating the same individual response to the many emails I was getting, I thought that I would send the information out to my very small email list (less than 400 people). At the time, I did not have even one website, although I had the gleam of an idea for a major photography collecting website. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

As landmarks go, the 100 newsletters have not been earthshaking or life changing, but I hope you have enjoyed them over the years. By the way, the entire newsletter archive can still be searched at: http://www.iphotocentral.com/news/news.php .

I appreciate the general tolerance that my readers have shown me. I have tried to be balanced and, I hope, fair in my often personal and opinionated approach to general news stories, as distinguished from our promotion of our multi-dealer website I Photo Central and its photography dealers. After all, we have to have something pay the bills. And I have always tried to keep the best interests of a healthy and educated photography collecting market in mind.

I know that I have often annoyed (which may be a mild description considering some of the responses I have received over the years) some with my coverage of things they wished I didn't cover, but I did so to help the long-term viability of the photography market, which I feel demands honesty, openness and integrity from all of its participants, especially today. And, to be fair, having these critics helps keep me "honest" and with an ego well deflated. So, thank you.

While we have had our fair share of scandals in photography, we have weathered them better because the overall group of people in this field are indeed honest, hardworking and have the good of their clients in mind.

I have always believed that education is the most important equalizer in life, and so I will continue to provide important information for even experienced collectors and curators--much of which can be accessed on the I Photo Central website. There are plans this year for more detailed market studies, including one for the contemporary photography art market.

Our list of direct readers is now approaching 4,000 and the number of pass-along readers is probably over 4,000, which makes it the largest circulation publication of its kind purely focused on photography collectors, curators and dealers. But please feel free to pass on this newsletter and suggest to your friends to sign up at: http://www.iphotocentral.com/subscribe/subscribe.php . After all, the price is right (free).

I wish to thank each and every one of you for your patience and kindness with me. And, once again, I wish you all a prosperous and very happy New Year.