Dating your prints

[Tin Can]

All Art needs a way for MAKER to win $$$

NOT collectors

Long after I'm gone, when my work goes up on Sotheby's, bidders will be clamoring for the earliest print dates....

[Pieter]

It all depends on why you are dating the print. Is it for your reference, or to conform to a standard among collectors and curators? If for yourself, use whatever makes sense to you. Curators seem to like edition number, title if any, signature and date of the photo. Date printed is optional--usually only important if the print is made many years later. Most photographers put this information on the back, usually in pencil. Some prints vary over time as they are printed, paper no longer being available or the photographer deciding to print them differently (AA is a prime example of this with Moon Over Hernandez).

Diane Arbus, in her "Box of Ten Photographs" put her signature and date on the front, on the right touching the bottom edge of the image. The detailed title and date of the image were also on a sheet of vellum, plus the same or similar plus her signature on the back of the photo. The edition number of the entire portfolio was on a separate title sheet.The date of printing does not appear anywhere to my knowledge.

[Paul Ron]

i dated my wife before we got married.

[esearing]

Long after I'm gone, when my work goes up on Sotheby's, bidders will be clamoring for the earliest print dates....

Should we buy them now so we get a good price? If I'm lucky, my future grandkids will at least see my prints before they get discarded in the trash bin.

[Doremus Scudder]

On the back of my prints (that is, on the mat board that it's dry-mounted to) is the following information:

Photograph by Doremus Scudder
Title: ..................
Location: (usually just a State, City or Country unless specifics are necessary)
Negative made: (Date of negative exposure)
Print made: (Date print was made)
Copyright: (Same date as the negative-made date)

I have a stamp and archival ink for the form, which is then filled in with pencil. The print is signed below the image at the bottom right, also in pencil.

I think both negative made and print made dates are important.

Best,

Doremus