More about the canvas prints
The first thing people ask when they see my work is, “Where did you get these pictures?” As much as I’d like to respond, “I just download them from the internet” – that would be flippant … not to mention illegal. And it wouldn’t make a very interesting hobby.
Not only that, it would devalue the enormous amount of time and effort that’s required to sift through countless archives, investigate the rights (where necessary), select an appropriate crop and then extensively “clean up” the digital copy of each original work. The images, mostly made from original negatives, are usually not exactly in pristine condition. The oldest (at the moment) print I sell comes from a poster made in 1906. That’s more than 100 years ago!
Finding a suitable image is just the start. After that, it’s time to transfer the digital version onto a canvas, build a frame – dimensions need to be precise because of the mirrored gallery wrap – and (finally) stretch and staple. I put together a little slideshow on the 17-steps of production, if you’re interested. And let’s not even get started on what it takes to package and ship a piece of art!
The canvas prints ARE:
- Historic: YES, other than the post-2010 images from my own collection, the majority of the black-and-white prints come from the Library of Congress, Chicago History Museum and Chicago Daily News archives, as well as other sources.
- Collectible: YES, each canvas print is limited edition and will be numbered and dated.
- Made in USA: YES, each canvas is printed in the clever mirrored gallery wrap style and then lovingly stretched here in Chicago, where most of the materials originate.
- Square: With a few exceptions, YES, we select what we believe to be the best part of what typically was a horizontal photo. That’s because multiple square combinations — three in a row, two rows of two or big and small — look absolutely fabulous! Squares are 12, 24 and 36 inches in size. And all the frames are 1.5 inches deep.
- Guaranteed: YES, Remember Wrigley Field strives for 100-percent customer satisfaction, 100 percent of the time.
The canvas prints are NOT:
- Photographs: NO, these are digital, archival photographic prints on canvas — not anything like flat, glossy photographs in the traditional sense.
- Certified: NO, these images have not been certified or authenticated by any professional sports organization or league. This is not a sports memorabilia business.
- Perfect: NO, original images may have some blemishes, which we retouch as part of our production process. In fact, the canvas you may buy is likely to have more detail than what you see on this website, where we use low resolution.
- Indestructible: NO, while the prints should provide years of viewing pleasure, you need to keep them away from liquids and sharp objects. And while the prints should not yellow, the inked edges where the canvas wraps the frame will show slight wear over time.