Bettmann, Otto L.The Good Old Days–They Were Terrible.
New York: Random House, 1974.
Bettmann, Otto L.The Bettmann Archive Picture His-
tory of the World: The Story of Western Civilization
Retold in 4460 Pictures. New York: Random House,
1978.
Corbis website: http://www.corbis.com (accessed May 6,
2005).CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
The collecting of photographs began with the
invention of the medium. In addition to individual
collectors, museums and institutions soon added
photographs to their collections and the first ‘‘cor-
porate’’ collections were begun in France when the
Commission des Monuments historiquesformed the
Missions he ́liographique in 1851 to photograph
buildings and monuments. Baron James de Roth-
child then commissioned photographs to be taken
along the route of his new railway line between
Paris and Boulogne in 1855.
With the constant formation of new companies,
it follows that new art collections are forming in the
corporate world. Corporations have been collect-
ing art almost as long as there have been corpora-
tions, with a recent increase in collections that
include photography. Most collections of the late
decades of the twentieth century unlike collections
of the past, made their acquisitions with the help of
curators and art consultants rather than relying on
the taste of the president or chief officer of the
company. These collections, therefore, are more
likely to reflect the ideas and image of the com-
pany, becoming an extension of and buttress to the
corporation’s identity. In the 1980s and 1990s espe-
cially, corporations became very savvy about art,
with many companies investing in contemporary
artists and new ideas to position themselves as
forward-looking companies, to provide a stimulat-
ing work environment, and as an investment. Per-
haps the best-known corporate collection is that of
the Kodak company, which was established as the
George Eastman House as a public museum now
known as the International Museum of Photogra-
phy and Film in Rochester, New York.
A comprehensive compilation of corporate col-
lections around the world would be impossible; the
following is a selection of the better known North
American corporate collections. It should be noted,
however, that there are many other corporations
around the globe which have interesting collections
that include photographs, many of which can be
found in theInternational Directory of Corporate
Art Collections. Other corporate collections include
the archives of such publications asThe New York
Times, Conde ́NastandTime-Life, among others.The 7-Eleven Collection
The Southland Corporation in California acquired
photographs beginning in the early 1980s in con-
junction with other works on paper to furnish a
new corporate headquarters. The collection even-
tually grew to over 2,500 prints by the time South-
land was bought out by the 7-Eleven Corporation
and the active collecting of art was no longer a
primary focus. Most of the photographs were
placed in storage and are occasionally loaned to
museum exhibitions. A decision was made by the
company to decrease its holdings by selling a selec-
tion of works at auction. One hundred twenty-six
lots of photographs were offered at Sotheby’s New
York in April 2000, totaling $3.6 million with 90%
finding buyers. Some of the artists included in the
collection were Euge`ne Atget, Margaret Bourke-
White, and Andre ́Kerte ́sz.Gilman Paper Company Collection
In 1974 Howard Gilman of the Gilman Paper
Company decided to collect and exhibit art in his
new Manhattan office. He hired a former curator
from the Museum of Modern Art, Pierre Apraxine,
to bring his expertise to the collection. Although
photography is the strongest part of the collection,CORBIS/BETTMANN