History of the Print Council
The Print Council of America (PCA) was founded as an incorporated, nonprofit organization in 1956 by graphic arts collector Lessing J. Rosenwald and a group of museum curators and directors. They shared a mission to “foster the creation, dissemination, and appreciation of fine prints, new and old.” In its initial years, the PCA was devoted to raising the visibility of printmaking as a fine art medium, and it played a strong advocacy role in providing educational information about prints, in supporting artists, and in promoting the creation and enactment of legislation relating to fraudulent practices in the print marketplace. The PCA organized exhibitions and coordinated the sale of prints through museum shops, published scholarly texts and newsletters, and sponsored curatorial fellowships. It also offered a subscription program for news of prints and exhibition calendars.
By the 1970s, having fulfilled many of its foundational goals, the PCA launched a series of publications, both scholarly and practical, of interest to curators and scholars as well as to cultural historians, collectors, conservators, and dealers. These books and research aids encouraged and professionalized the preservation, administration, and study of print collections. Most notable among these are The Print Council Index to Catalogues Raisonnés of Works on Paper (ongoing since 1983), Guidelines for Lending Works of Art on Paper (1995, revised 2015), and The Print Council of America Paper Sample Book (1996), which offers an annotated selection of antique and modern papers. The PCA also collaborates with other organizations, most recently sponsoring lectures by members presented each fall during the International Fine Print Dealers Association’s Print Month.
Equally important, the PCA provides a forum for print curators and other specialists in North America to meet, share ideas, debate issues, update each other on work in progress, and discuss and implement PCA projects. Its elected membership has evolved over the years to include not only those whose primary focus is on prints, but also those who specialize in the history of drawings and photographs. As of 2024, there are more than 300 members, most of whom represent collections of works of art on paper throughout the United States and Canada. Election to the PCA is considered an honor and is achieved through a process of nomination by current members in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field and commitment to service.
For more than half a century, the PCA has created an environment for goodwill and collaboration among professionals who research, exhibit, and care for works of art on paper, and it aims to continue to advance the profession and to serve the public good.