Metropolitan Collections Awarded Contract worth $1 Million by U.S. Golf Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 19, 2008 -- ORLANDO - Metropolitan Collections, a high-technology graphics archival, reproduction and ecommerce marketing firm headquartered at the UCF Incubation Program’s Downtown Orlando Incubator on Orange Ave., was recently awarded a three-year contract potentially worth more than $1 million from the U.S. Golf Association.

Robert Sabin, president of Metropolitan Collections, said the firm beat out some stiff competition for the contract including Conde Nast, one of the nation’s largest publishing houses.

Sabin, whose 40-year career as a professional photographer and reproduction consultant brought him worldwide assignments from Time-Life, Stern, Das Spiegel and major publishers, as well as consulting with numerous Fortune 500 clients providing state-of-the-art reproduction and digital workflow solutions.

“I’m very fortunate to have the joy of working at what I love – the practice of my lifelong interest in the archival and fine art reproduction techniques of graphic images,” said Sabin.

“Throughout history, great artists have focused their energies on technologies to preserve their works. Art preservation experts are constantly devising new techniques to restore the original colors those artists painted, and in the process they are uncovering many unique processes those artists used to create not only great art but art that would stand up to the tests of time,” he said.

Until recently, photographic images---especially color images---had a limited lifetime, as any trip through the family photo album will attest.

“Colors faded, contrasts blurred, and the integrity of the work suffered over time,” Sabin said.

Seven years ago, however, scientists developed new ways to preserve digital reproductions for the ages.

“Now we can produce digital photographic and art prints on paper and canvas that are archival and ‘green.’ The process is complex, but the integrity of the finished product will last for 100-plus years,” he said.

Sabin founded Metropolitan Collections to commercialize the new technology.

“I worked with many of the world’s most prominent museums, galleries, corporate and individual collections. I served as an Apple consultant setting up color standards for graphic reproductions, and when I began working with these new technologies I knew there was a substantial market in archival and fine art reproduction work,” he said.

Thanks to Metropolitan Collections, the photograph of Bobby Jones’ 1926 U.S. Open win will appear today in exactly the same hues as the photographer intended. Therefore the image of Jones will convey the nostalgia of the original vintage golf art photograph.

Uniquely, Sabin structured the U.S. Golf Association contract as a revenue sharing partnership---he understands that this model creates a unique business model for the mutual success of Metropolitan Collections and non-profit organizations such as the USGA Museum.

Robert Sabin, 877-203-4488; rsabin@metropolitan-collections.com

golf     graphics archival     Metropolitan Collections     photos     U.S. Golf Association     UCF Incubation Program