2010 Print Program: Jensen and Barry

Signed editions of these two prints will go on sale at the 2010 conference. They will be available for purchase on this site as long as the editions last. Click on the images above for larger versions and more details at railroadheritage.org.

Jensen's “Montana Division,” 2000 (above).
Barry's “Early Morning Highball,” 1958 (right).

Print Program Description

You have another opportunity to collect important, interesting railroad photographs at an affordable price, and also provide financial support for the Center's ongoing programs. The Center is continuing the effort it began last year, when it offered two limited-edition prints of Jim Shaughnessy photographs. Many photo-based nonprofits sell prints from well-known photographers. The photographs are priced well below gallery rates in San Francisco, New York, or Chicago, giving an incentive for collectors to purchase artwork they like while helping an organization they believe in.

The Center is offering two limited edition prints at $250 each: Joel Jensen's “Montana Division” and Frank Barry's “Early Morning Highball.” They are archival pigment prints, signed on the back in pencil by the artist, in editions of twenty-five. The prints are 11x14 on 13x16 Epson Exhibition Fiber paper (the closest digital equivalent we've seen to silver-gelatin black-and-white paper). The photographers supervise their production.

To put the Center's offer in context, consider that most fine-art photography prints from major artists now range from $2,000 to $3,000 (Richard Steinheimer prints, for example), to $3,000 to $7,500 (David Plowden), and up to half-a-millions dollars for blue-chip artists like Andreas Gursky. Photographs by Mel Patrick, Howard Pincus, Wayne Depperman, John Gruber, and Richard Steinheimer (again) that appeared in the Starlight on the Rails show at the Robert Mann Gallery in 2000 brought between $750 and $1,500 each. Plowden prints once sold for $125, and the asking price today regularly exceeds $3,000.

Collecting photography is fun and rewarding. Foremost, it brings aesthetic pleasure; secondarily, it can prove a better investment than many stocks. You can see the prints themselves on display at this year's conference, and they will be available over the next twelve months or until the editions run out. We will continue to unveil new selections in the same price range each year, featuring them also on the website. Future participating photographers might include Mel Patrick, John Gruber, or Greg McDonnell. If you have suggestions or recommendations, please let us know.

A note about our e-commerce system: The Center uses Paypal (www.paypal.com) for its gifts and publication sales. It is a reputable industry standard and has encryption and security safeguards implemented to ensure your payment information remains confidential and secure. Gifts and purchases can be made using a credit card or by Paypal transfers from a Paypal account.