Aperture to D.A.P.

by Judith Rosen -- Publishers Weekly, 4/4/2005

With its move to Chelsea completed earlier this month, 52-year-old Aperture Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fine photography, is continuing to reinvent itself by focusing on its publishing program. After 20 years with Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Aperture announced that it is shifting its U.S. and Canadian distribution to Distributed Art Publishers starting July 1. A year ago, Aperture transferred its worldwide distribution outside North America to Thames & Hudson.

"We are so excited to partner with D.A.P.," Aperture executive director Ellen S. Harris told PW. "We have been working closely with them on reorganizing Aperture's inventory, and that has convinced us, if we had any doubts, that they're terrific for us. Our experience with Thames & Hudson has been so incredibly positive. They're already selling two to three times the books as our previous U.K. distributor, and I expect D.A.P. to do something like that."

At the same time, Aperture, which has an active back list of 200 titles, is increasing its publishing schedule to 20 new titles this year, up from 14 in 2004 and six in 2003. And, in the fall, it is moving all its printing from Asia to Italy.