The ubiquitous presence of prints in everyday life as well as the transformation of printmaking from a reproductive to an increasingly experimental artistic medium brought about dramatic changes in collecting the graphic arts beginning in the nineteenth century. As artists began to experiment with the modern fine art print and the art market developed, publishers and galleries provided new opportunities for artists and collectors, and what was formerly largely an aristocratic practice became accessible to a wider range of social classes. Increasing numbers of enthusiasts began to see prints as an affordable means to amass a sophisticated collection of contemporary art. In addition, collectors acquired not only art prints but also posters, books, and diverse ephemera. From the late nineteenth century onwards, the interest in collecting prints was supported by a network and an emerging art market that included specialized dealers who were often also publishers, and specialized publications—both journals and reference texts that catalogued and explained aspects of the graphic arts.

This panel seeks to explore various aspects of print collecting from the nineteenth century to the present, including collecting practices; types, social classes, and individual collectors; collecting by museums; and the wide range of printed materials collected from fine art to the everyday, including, for example, advertising posters, political posters, and caricatures.

Papers may address any aspect of print collecting, including (but not limited to) collecting practices, the changing market, notable collectors and collections, journals for collectors, marketing, reception, museums collecting prints, and the historiography of relevant texts. We invite papers on case studies, and papers that integrate history, analysis of discourses, theoretical issues, and the social history of collecting.

Please send abstracts of no more than 250 words and a cv to both organizers (britanys@gmail.com and ruth.e.iskin@gmail.com) no later than December 7, 2015.