Welcome to the second issue of PERSPECTIVE™, a bimonthly feature of our website dedicated to providing timely, compelling and insightful information and analysis in an accessible format for our customers and colleagues in the interrelated fields of history, collecting and publishing.

With a 35-year background in publishing, we naturally feel compelled to label any publication we produce. We've worked on everything from newspapers, books and magazines to journals, directories and online news services. Each has a different mission, audience and type of connection with its readers. PERSPECTIVE™ doesn't fit neatly into any of the familiar categories of print publication; nor does it serve as a "hot news" online service. And it's definitely not a blog.

Simply put, PERSPECTIVE™ is an information service. It's designed to provide content that will help you become a more savvy collector or manager in your field, and pique your interest in related areas. We'll give you news on trends in the fields we cover, fresh perspectives and incisive analysis. We'll have short items and updates on pertinent topics, and longer, in-depth pieces on subjects and issues that affect your business or hobby. Along the way, we hope you'll gain new insight and enjoy what we're offering. As it evolves, PERSPECTIVE™ will shift and grow, at a rate and in a direction that will depend as much on you as on us.

The History Bank has always been eclectic in serving a multitude of fields. We believe this is our strength. We deal in history, and we work with publishers, museums and individuals. The fields we cover are indeed broad, but we know the limits of our expertise and work very hard to focus this expertise on the needs of our clients. PERSPECTIVE™ will take on the daunting task of bringing many topics and readers together.

As editors and writers, Christine Laing and I have worked together since 1973 and been partners in this business since 1979. We have written literally thousands of articles on innumerable topics. We've developed, written and/or edited some 300 books and monographs. We've lectured and taught at Radcliffe College and the University of Chicago, at workshops, roundtables and conferences on topics ranging from vintage baseball to the Klondike Gold Rush.

PERSPECTIVE™ will be a labor of love, but also a serious publication to provide you with new and valuable information. Not every article will be of interest to every reader. We don't expect a museum curator to be interested in the demand for, say, baseball photography or Disney collectibles. But collectors and archivists alike should find articles on historical autographs, Olympic medals, world's fair history and myriad other topics worth a read.

Christine is the company's editorial director and thus responsible for content here just as in our books; I manage the acquisition and sale of historical items as well as the research we conduct through our Laing Research Services subsidiary. Laura Fisher, who joined the company in the 1990s as an editor and project manager, focuses primarily on our website today as both editor and webmaster. Kelly Burch began designing both books and collateral for the company at about the same time and her latest strokes of excellence can be seen throughout the website.

We have a lot in store for you as readers of PERSPECTIVE™, and we will ensure the content stays fresh. Rather than just quantity, we will guarantee quality, timeliness and pertinence. And we're anxious for your input, as well, about what you'd like to read and see, and what you think of articles you've seen thus far. Send your comments—good, bad, but not indifferent—to me at norm@thehistorybank.com. We look forward to making PERSPECTIVE™ an integral part of The History Bank and your collecting and history experience.

Norm Bolotin
Partner/Publisher