Press Release - Printscapes.com

Local Historian Partners with Printscapes.com

(May 2008 - Hawaii Kai, HI) Allan Seiden may be a familiar name to many Hawaii residents, for it is attached to numerous island publications. He is perhaps best known for his contributions to the visitor book industry with the publication of such titles as Fishponds to Warships, a Complete Illustrated History of Pearl Harbor (the best seller at the memorial for the past three years), Diamond Head, Hawaii’s Icon and The Art of the Hula. Seiden has held parallel careers as both a journalist and a photographer in the islands since 1974, when he arrived in Hilo town with the $600 that sustained him for six months. He has come a long way since then; his latest endeavor is a partnership with Printscapes.com, an emerging on line art store based in Hawaii Kai.

Printscapes.com, which officially launched in January of 2008, has set out to make its mark on the fine wall décor industry. The site features thousands of easily searchable images which can be printed on paper or canvas, sized and framed to the customers’ specifications, and shipped. Printscapes.com plays host to all styles of artwork, from abstract paintings to crisp black and white photos, but specializes in Pacific Rim artwork. This is where Seiden’s work comes into play.

Originally schooled as an historian (Seiden holds Masters Degrees in both Russian History and Education), Seiden has been collecting Hawaiian and Asian vintage imagery via the camera lens for the past 25 years. He is innately attracted to historical imagery, and, it seems, to the people who catalogue it. “Over the years, there were a lot of people who were remarkably open and generous,” Seiden says of the collectors who allowed him to photograph their historical photos, artwork, and pieces of memorabilia. He is especially grateful to all the people who opened up their homes and businesses to him.

Seiden’s collection, which sprung merely from his love of the subject, now fills a desirable niche in the interior design world. As all things vintage have become increasingly popular in recent years, Seiden’s collection stands out above others for the rare nature of his images. Printscapes.com showcases many of the popular Hawaiian vintage images that the public is accustomed to seeing, but due to Seiden’s diligence and passion for history, the sight also is home to many gorgeous, seldom-reprinted images. Seiden has been careful to obtain the rights to reproduce all of the work that he shoots.

The styles and time periods of these unique images vary. Amongst the oldest are book illustrations from the 1840’s, depicting the native people of the “Sandwich Islands.” Next in line are delicately colored botanical illustrations of the 1890’s. The collection includes black and white photos of Honolulu at various times between 1800 and 1960. It also contains various hand colored black and white photos of Japanese girls in beautiful kimono and colorful lithographs of Japanese temples. Seiden has always been incredibly interested in post card art, so viewers will see many turn of the century postcards featuring scenes such as plantation workers harvesting cane sugar or ladies with parasols touring Kilauea Volcano. Sheet music covers and travel advertisements from the 1920’s and 1930’s make up a final genre, one such piece depicting a tourist in a full suit and fedora hat on Waikiki beach, and another composition made up of simple palm-leaf shapes in the art deco style.

Seiden’s images have been well-received by interior designers and regular consumers alike. When asked which his personal favorite is, Seiden hesitates, saying that he likes so many of them, then replies that there are a few hand colored lithographs that come to mind. “[They give one] a visual sense of what the past was like,” he says. He notes that the style of clothing, the expressions on the faces, and the colors all give the viewer an idea of what life was like at the time the image was created.

To view Allan Seiden’s vintage images, as well as his (and many others’) contemporary photography, visit www.Printscapes.com and click on “Vintage Art.”

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