''Photo District News'' (or ''PDN'') was an American monthly

trade publication A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for thi ...

for professional photographers. ''PDN'' was first published in 1980. The publication took its name from New York City's photo district, an area of photo businesses that was once located in

Flatiron District The Flatiron District is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, named after the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Generally, the Flatiron District is bounded by 14th Street, Union Square and Gre ...

. Its closure was announced on 28 January 2020. ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' has described PDN's annual list of "30 New and Emerging Photographers" as "the go-to outlet to discover up-and-coming photographers, determined on the basis of creativity, versatility and distinctive vision", and as "a career turning point" for those included on the list.How PDN’s 30 Influenced Photographers Over the Years
by Ye Ming, at ''Time''; 5 June 2015; Retrieved 21 June 2015

History

Originally named ''New York Photo District News'', ''PDN'' was founded by Carl S. Pugh, who was working as a photographer's assistant and sought more freelance work. He inquired as to the best way to advertise his services and was told to post a note on the community bulletin boards found at local businesses frequented by professional photographers. This sparked the idea to create a newsletter for the loose-knit community of professional photographers who populated the inexpensive loft spaces along lower Fifth Avenue (the "Photo District"). ''PDN'' was owned by

Emerald Expositions Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, ...

and headquartered in New York. The first issue (May 1980) cost $800 to print and carried $2,000 in advertising, yielding a tidy profit. It was distributed free in stores in the Photo District. ''PDN'' was an instant success. In time professional photographers, coming to Manhattan on assignment from elsewhere in the country picked up a copy and requested a subscription (initially $6 per year), which, in turn, was seen by other photographers back home. In this manner, ''PDN'' quickly grew into a national publication. In 1983, ''PDN'' launched Photo Expo, a trade show for the same market, which remains the leading US show for pro shooters (since renamed PHOTOPLUS). Pugh sold ''PDN'' and the show to ''

Adweek ''Adweek'' is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1979. ''Adweek'' covers creativity, client–agency relationships, global advertising, accounts in review, and new campaigns. During this time, it has cover ...

'' in 1984. It was announced on 28 January 2020 that the print publication would cease and the website would no longer be updated. The future of PDN Annual and PDN's 30 have yet to be determined.

References

External links

* Defunct magazines published in the United States Magazines disestablished in 2020 Magazines established in 1980 Magazines published in New York City Monthly magazines published in the United States Photography magazines Photography in the United States Professional and trade magazines Visual arts magazines published in the United States {{art-mag-stub