About Anchor Editions

Here’s how it works: every so often, I geek out about some interesting / obscure / cool art that I’d like to have hanging on my wall. I think you might like it too, so I make a limited edition of numbered, archival-quality prints, and ship them to you.

I’m a printer, photographer, graphic designer, cinema geek, and typography nerd, so my interests generally end up in those spheres, but I’m always looking to discover new work, so if you’ve come across something that you think might pique my curiosity, or if you’re an artist with work that would look good as an Anchor Edition, let me know!

The Importance of Craft and Process

In my work as a photographer and designer, I’ve spent a lot of time in print shops, learning the ins and outs of photographic printing, fine art printing, commercial offset printing, and even the occasional letterpress and silkscreen job. I spent several years working on digital photography software, and learned about the world of color management and calibration, using some of the best hardware and software available.

But the experience I value most is seeing the craftsmanship and care for the process that was modeled by a number of mentors throughout my life. The biggest influence in this respect is definitely my Dad, who is a fine craftsman and all around brilliant inventor. He can carve, build, machine, or fix just about everything, and growing up watching him work in his garage and on the job impressed upon me the importance of respecting the tools, processes, and materials I use, and taking the time to do the work well—paying attention to the details nobody else may even notice.

The Anchor Editions logo—the anchor and dolphin—is a symbol for the latin phrase festina lente, which means “hasten slowly.” It’s a motto that urges careful deliberation over speed, and craft over quantity. I’ve written a bit more about the origin of the logo and the motto, if you’re curious.

The First Edition

The idea for Anchor Editions took shape after I encountered some beautiful old maps. I was doing some research for a packaging design for my wife’s pastry business, looking for old maps of Washington, D.C. I kept coming across delightful hand-colored maps that contained all sorts of carefully hand-drawn details and ornaments, including some stunning title pages.

The maps were clearly works of art, but made for the rather mundane purpose of estimating fire risk by insurance companies. Such beautiful attention to detail even in the most utilitarian products is something we rarely see today. I knew that these were special, but there isn’t a lot of information available about these maps and their lettering, so—as I wrote about in more detail on the blog—I did some investigating and got my hands on some originals.

Anchor Editions exists for this discovery process—finding something fascinating, learning the stories behind it, and sharing it with you. I’ve got a few other artworks and artists that I’m excited to share, and I’m looking forward to the discoveries that lie ahead.

A Note About Copyright

I’m a photographer, and I take copyright very seriously. All of the art I print on Anchor Editions is reproduced under license from the artist or copyright owner, or the art is in the public domain and free for anyone to reproduce.

Generally, works published before 1923 in the United States are now in the public domain, as are all works created by the U.S. Government and its employees. There are a few other criteria that can be used to determine the copyright status of a work. This table is a handy reference. If you have questions or concerns about the copyright status of something you find here, do let me know right away.

Stay in Touch

The best way to keep on top of what I’m working on is to follow Anchor Editions on Instagram or Twitter. Be sure to also join the mailing list for news about new editions, stories about the art and artists I’m excited about at the moment, and an occasional perk or two.