I felt a slight sense of shock and sadness when I opened this month's issue of The Photo Review and read... "This is the last issue of The Photo Review that will appear in print". Editor Stephen Perloff is taking the publication into the green/electronic realm, and all future issues will be delivered as a PDF file by email. In practical terms, this is a good thing for The Photo Review. Issues will now include color images without the burdensome expense of color printing. Likewise, page counts won't matter for an electronic version the way they did for a tightly budgeted small print publication, so Perloff intends to expand the number of essays and reviews in future issues. There is even some thought towards iPad and similar tablet versions down the road. These moves will all open up new opportunities and this transition is exciting in many ways, but I will definitely miss the old printed version arriving in the mail each month. I've got hundreds of them saved in one corner of my library. They represent an amazing archive of photo history with their extensive listings of photography exhibits, lectures, calls for work, etc. The Photo Review has been published since 1976, and a complete set from the beginning to end of printed issues certainly represents a unique time capsule. The late 1970's saw the full maturity of Black & White art photography transcend towards the acceptance of the New Color Photography, and the decades that followed witnessed the digital tidal wave. (Sweeping The Photo Review right out of a print version). A careful chronological study of Photo Review issues would reveal some interesting patterns and trends I would imagine. That would make a fantastic thesis subject for a graduate student out there somewhere!

All the best to Stephen Perloff and the new electronic Photo Review for many years ahead!

The Photo Review (web site)