PhotoSeed

PhotoSeed is an online archive documenting the early history of fine‐art photography, primarily from 1880 to the First World War. Launched in 2011 with over 1,400 works from over 600 artists, the site will eventually top 5,000 images, all from the private collection of photojournalist David Spencer. Eighty‐six Ateliers, or workshops, are currently represented. Some images derive directly from journals, calendars, exhibition catalogues, postcards, and advertising matter. Metadata categories include: photographer; country; medium; year; journal issue; subject, event, or publication; and Atelier.

Some records include extensive contextual notes, occasionally providing contemporary commentary related to the artifact in question, as in...