When New Hope, PA photographer Jack Rosen passed away in 2006, he left behind a massive body of work that needs to be digitized and cataloged. Here’s how your support will help make it happen.
Jack Rosen was one of the best photographers of his time, yet it’s likely that many aren’t familiar with him and his work. That is what a crowdfunding project seeks to change, first by digitizing and cataloging the lot of negatives and slides he left upon his passing in 2006. It’s a monumental task for his son, who has taken the helm of the project ,dubbed The Jack Rosen Photo Challenge, which he’s currently funding on Indiegogo.
For the largely unfamiliar generation of photographers today, Rick Rosen introduced his father in the campaign as “considered by many to be one of the best ‘unknown’ photographers of the second half of the twentieth century.” He is recognized primarily for his photos of New Hope and Bucks County in Pennsylvania, but he has also taken photos of celebrities as well. He referred to himself as “New Hope’s oldest streetwalker”, shooting scenes and things people would typically overlook. His work shed light on his sense of humor and justice but also appealed to viewers’ higher sense of themselves.
Rick added that his father’s work encompasses the late 1950s well up to the early 2000s, so it’s easy to see how he amassed a body of work comprised of over 500,000 35mm black and white negatives and thousands of color slides. This collection is minimally digitized and cataloged, so Rick and his team are looking to secure funding to get this project started. For this, they are looking to raise $5,000 for the necessary equipment (computer, scanner, storage, printer, peripherals). The plan is to ultimately have a fully digitized and cataloged Jack Rosen collection, then organize a variety of outlets to market his work for buyers and collectors, including:
- Local retail outlet photo sales
- Local /regional community organization relationships (media, historical societies, chambers of commerce, etc.)
- Exploration of licensing, stock photo, etc. agreements
- Online photo direct sales
- Fine Arts America – retail sales of photo-imprinted products
- Etsy – retail sales of photos
Learn more about Jack Rosen in the short documentary film below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3iKK-c-ROE
If you’d like to show your support to this project, head to the Indiegogo campaign to pledge your contribution and score some Jack Rosen prints and perks.
Screenshot image from the Indiegogo campaign video