I recently did an impromptu book signing at the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley.  The Adams Gallery is perhaps my best “real estate” and does a magnificent job of advertising these restored WPA national park prints and my book.

We sold 15 books in 2 hours and I met a lot of great folks–enthusiastic about this history.  One gentlemen bought my book and proudly showed me the three prints he hung in his house.  But they weren’t anything to do with this rare, unique art.  They were by one of thousands that are now proliferating posters using the government (Bauhaus) font with the facsimile seal.   This particular vendor claims inspiration by Ansel Adams–who was not a WPA artist and had nothing to do with this original NPS poster series.  He met AA when he was a kid and this is his hook he uses to convince people that he is the man.  He isn’t; and he’s misleading a lot of folks in the wrong direction.  Since my donations of originals back to the public domain, anyone can download these historic prints and print them out at Kinkos or your favorite copy house for a few dollars.

Now….Most egregiously,  and for the third time, Yellowstone National Park has kicked out all our hand-printed silkscreen products and is now printing only the Geyser print, on an on-demand printer–oversized on very flimsy paper……for $50 or more (when you add tax/shipping).  The coalition of the Yellowstone Foundation and the Yellowstone Association (into Yellowstone Forever) a decade ago nearly led to bankruptcy.  To squeeze another buck out the visitors, they are now producing this flimsy version–I bought one and I wouldn’t pay $5 for it.   My advice–if you want a cheaper version–download it here and print it out yourself.

Last:  AI.  We here at Ranger Doug’s Enterprises use a version of AI…..Actual Intelligence.  Folks–you can now design your own WPA poster–plug it into an AI program and print your own.  These are thread-worn, saccharin and will guarantee to end up in the trash bin.   Consider–here at Ranger Doug’s Enterprises–we hand silk-screen each print, screen at a time (on modern, efficient machines).  We add a stabilizing coat prior to the printing process and a anti-scuff coat after it is done.  A Haleakala print (10 colors) is a total of 12 passes and we sell this to parks at $2/screen.  That’s a bargain.  This $25 wholesale for parks translates in an equal amount of profit–heavily weighted to parks.  This is my mission.  Consider–we work directly with National Parks and their Cooperating Associations (bookstores) by commission on each design.  These don’t come fast nor easy,  but they are quality and they’re still selling after 35 years.  Initially created in the 1930s, these prints will be a durable and quality gift for your home for generations to come.  Don’t accept anything less.