Portfolio. Volume 1, Number 1. A Contemporary College Photography Magazine.

Portfolio Publications, 1978. Edited by Greg Holmes and Martin Wolin, Jr.  Oblong wraps, 46 pages. Photographs by Jerry Uelsmann; Bill Larson; Evon Streetman; Steven Berkowitz; Don Fike; Kenneth Kerslake; Michael Becotte; Tim Herron; Karen Wein; Steve Cowper, Catherine Jansen; et al. [First of only three issues of this periodical. Not to be confused with another magazine called Portfolio, the Magazine for the Visual Arts, which began in 1979]. Near mint with very minor signs of use on covers. Has been stored in plastic bag since new. Scarce.  Summary:

Portfolio: A Contemporary College Photography Magazine (Vol. 1, No. 1, Fall 1978) is the inaugural issue of a short-lived, independent photography periodical published by Portfolio Publications based out of Plattsburgh, New York. Edited by Greg Holmes and Martin Wolin, Jr., the 46-page oblong-format publication was launched to serve as a platform highlighting the creative output, trends, and experimental techniques surfacing within academic photography programs across the United States.

Core Content & Visual Framework

1. The Intersection of Master and Student Work

The editorial structure of the magazine sets up a deliberate dialogue between established masters of contemporary photography and a rising generation of student artists. By placing work by legendary figures side by side with collegiate portfolios, the debut issue traces how mid-century darkroom innovations were actively being absorbed, reinterpreted, and expanded upon within university classrooms.

2. Focus on Avant-Garde and Surrealist Imagery

The inaugural volume features a curated selection of imagery that leans heavily toward conceptual, surrealist, and non-traditional photographic practices. The issue includes reproductions by prominent artists and educators such as:

• Jerry Uelsmann: Renowned for his complex, seamlessly blended multiple-negative darkroom composites.

• Bill Larson and Evon Streetman: Known for pushing the formal and technical boundaries of multi-media photographic prints.

• Michael Becotte and Catherine Jansen: Showcasing experimental work alongside a diverse roster of emerging collegiate talent, including Steven Berkowitz, Don Fike, Kenneth Kerslake, Tim Herron, Karen Wein, and Steve Cowper.

3. Alternative Formats and Technical Craft

The magazine champions technical mastery and material experimentation over simple snapshot documentation. The visual portfolios focus on the physical manipulation of the photographic medium, highlighting alternative printing processes, composite layouts, and staged scenarios that reflect the academic shift toward treating the photographic print as an explicit site of fine-art construction.

Representing the first of only three issues ever produced before the periodical ceased publication, this debut installment of Portfolio stands as a scarce and insightful time capsule of late-1970s American photo-pedagogy. It captures a unique moment when university programs were transitioning into primary engines for contemporary artistic experimentation, training a new generation to look beyond traditional documentary formats.