About Macrafly
Old photographs. The real ones.
I collect old photographs. Macrafly is where I put the ones I have for sale, along with everything I can learn about them.
These are original photographs, not reproductions. Most are one of a kind. I photograph the front and back, record what I know, and try not to claim more than the picture can support. If I do not know something, I would rather say that than fill in the blank.
Shop is what is for sale now. When a photograph sells, it leaves the shop. It may stay on the site as a record, but there is only one.
Study is where I am putting the useful stuff: how the old processes worked, how to tell one from another, how to date a photograph, and how to take care of it. It is free. It is also unfinished, and probably always will be. Talk is the place to post a photograph, ask a question, or talk directly with other people who care about this material.
Matt Cranford
I am Matt Cranford. I am a photographer, and I collect nineteenth-century American photography. I do the buying, scanning, research, writing, packing, and mailing here. If you write or call, you are talking to me.
Questions about a photograph or an order are welcome. Write to mrcranford@macrafly.com or call 402-770-7729.
What I record
I scan or photograph both sides at high resolution. I record the process, subject, date, size, photographer's mark, and provenance when there is any. Worn edges, stains, writing on the back — those are part of the object. I do not clean them out of the record or make the photograph look newer than it is.
Dating is sometimes exact and sometimes a best guess. The listing should make the difference clear.