Hitachi America Expands Viewseum
Hitachi America Expands Viewseum
BUSINESS WIRE
Oct 15, 1998 12:21 PM
Hitachi America Expands Viewseum, Offering High-Quality Reproductions On-Line from The Hudson River Museum
Hitachi America, Ltd., in collaboration with The Hudson River Museum, Yonkers N.Y., Westchester County, today announced the availability of high quality digital reproductions of the Museum's permanent collection via the ViewseumShop.
The ViewseumShop makes it possible for consumers worldwide to purchase the high-quality digital reproductions on canvas or watercolor paper. The prints are reproduced with the full quality and integrity approved by The Hudson River Museum.
The Hitachi Viewseum Web site, which opened in January 1996, features a broad range of high quality visual images of art, photography and nature. Customers can order the digital reproductions through the ViewseumShop web site directly using credit cards. The ViewseumShop then prints orders on-demand. Customers within the United States will receive their orders within ten business days. The size of the reproductions can be custom ordered.
The initial contents of the ViewseumShop focus on the Hudson River School landscape paintings, from The Hudson River Museum's permanent collection. The Hudson River School style paintings became popular in the New York area in the 19th century. They were influenced by the landscape painting movement in Britain, and were the first style of painting developed in the United States.
The beauty of the Hudson River School paintings has been re-discovered in recent years and is gaining interest among art collectors. Many Hudson River School paintings are valued quite highly. Many of the paintings from the Hudson River Museum have not been reproduced in the past. ViewseumShop is the first to reproduce these paintings, allowing the beauty of these hidden treasures to enter the homes of the general public.
"This new venture is based on the experience gained through content management, working with museums and individual artists during the past two and a half years on the Hitachi Viewseum web site. Museum quality paintings are difficult to acquire for the general public, but now ViewseumShop offers high quality reproductions digitally for as little as $99.00.
"ViewseumShop plans to increase the diversity of reproductions offered, focusing on the local museum collections. We would like to see the ViewseumShop digital reproductions in homes, hotels, restaurants, offices, etc.," said Makoto Shiomi, director of The ViewseumShop.
Commenting on the announcement, Philip Verre, director of The Hudson River Museum, said, "We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with the ViewseumShop in offering these high quality reproductions. We believe that the worldwide exposure the Museum will gain via the Internet and the resulting increased interest in the Museum and its collections will be quite beneficial."
For further information and inquiry, please contact Naoko Higashide-Martin, manager of the ViewseumShop, at viewseum@hal.hitachi.com
Hitachi America, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., Japan, markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems and products, and semiconductors, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout North America.
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1997 (ended March 31, 1998) consolidated sales of 8,416 billion yen ($63.8 billion(a)). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi's Web site at http://www.hitachi.co.jp.
The Hudson River Museum is a cultural complex comprised of a restored Victorian mansion, state-of-the-art planetarium and contemporary art galleries. Founded in 1919, the Museum owns and impressive collection of 19th and 20th century American fine and decorative art, and mounts several major exhibits each year. The Museum enjoys a national reputation for its unique educational programs.
Note: (a) At an exchange rate of 132 yen to the dollar.