Witkin, Lee D. and Barbara London. The Photograph Collector's Guide.

Boston: NYGS, 1979. 1st edition. Indispensable reference with biographies, bibliographies, and facsimiles of signatures of numerous master photographers, with brief listings for hundreds of others. With extensive information about museum collections, exhibition galleries, chronology of photography, explanation of processes, glossary, care and restoration, matting and framing, limited edition portfolios, separate list of daguerreotypists, detailed index, etc. 438 pages, illustrated. Summary:

First published in 1979 by New York Graphic Society, The Photograph Collector's Guide is widely considered the foundational "bible" for the photography market. Co-authored by legendary gallery owner Lee D. Witkin and acclaimed educator Barbara London, the book was instrumental in transforming photography from a niche hobby into a sophisticated field of fine art collecting.

Core Components

The guide is a massive, encyclopedic resource designed to provide both the historical context and the practical tools necessary for navigating the art market.

• Biographical Encyclopedia: The heart of the book is a comprehensive directory of over 1,000 photographers, from 19th-century pioneers to 20th-century masters. Each entry includes biographical sketches, selected bibliographies, and descriptions of their signature styles and processes.

• Technical Manual: It provides detailed explanations of photographic processes—such as daguerreotypes, calotypes, albumen prints, and platinum prints—which is essential for collectors to identify and authenticate vintage works.

• The Business of Collecting: The authors demystify the mechanics of the art world, offering practical advice on provenance, limited editions, signatures, and the physical care and restoration of photographic prints.

Key Features and Resources

Beyond individual biographies, the guide includes several specialized sections that remain valuable to historians today:

• Chronology of Milestones: A detailed timeline of the technical and aesthetic evolution of the medium.

• Glossary and Appendix: A robust reference for terminology and a list of major museums, galleries, and auction houses that shaped the industry in the late 1970s.

• The "Value" Framework: While specific prices have changed, the book established the criteria—rarity, condition, and historical significance—by which photographs are still appraised today.

Significance

• Market Standardization: By codifying the "rules" of collecting, Witkin and London provided a bridge between the academic study of photography and the commercial reality of the gallery.

• Educational Impact: For many collectors and curators of the era, this was the first single-volume resource that treated photography with the same intellectual rigor as painting or sculpture.

"To collect photographs is to collect the history of the world... this guide provides the map." — Lee D. Witkin

Copies available:

• Cloth, fine with very good protected dust jacket that has two short professionally closed inconspicuous tears and creases on inside flaps.
• Fine without dust jacket.