Photo Frames: Give Craftsmanship A Fillip

Photo Frames are the work of art. They have provided craftsmen gainful employment as they are in demand for different photo studios or even traders who supply them to many outlets. They serve dual purpose of protecting the photograph and also giving photos the style and grace they need. The frames can be used either for a photograph or for a painting. We are not sure about its origin but needless to say photo-frames have performed a great function of not only decorating photographs but also of protecting them for many years. Frames are used for framing photographs since ancient times and the art of making photo-frames have evolved into a craftsmanship.

The most commonly used frames have been wooden frames. Wooden frames were the favoured ones in the olden days and you will find that most of the old photographs in your house or even at your friend’s house are made of wood. Even the rich and famous used wooden image holders as they were the most commonly available frames and you would also get them in different shapes, sizes and textures. Photo studios all over the world had ready-made frames in their studios for sale. The photo-frames were of various shapes and sizes to fit the photographs. It is more likely that you would get black and white photograph in a wooden frame.

They also spawned whole lots of craftsmen. The craftsmen specialised in making various shapes, sizes and texture. Making of an image holder is also considered a craft. It, therefore, encouraged frame craftsmanship in many countries including India. However, today wooden photo holders are rarely found as other materials have overtaken this material. Today, most of the studios sell picture frames made of steel, plastics or even other materials. But, the classical wooden frames are still available in some of the studios.

If we do not talk about the Indian origin frames, then the story of photo folders will remain incomplete. The Indian royalty was known to encourage making of an artistically and stylish picture frames. The craftsmen perfected the art of making that was not only beautiful but also reflected their talent for carving. It symbolized the grace of Indian art and crafts.

The ones of the Indian royalty, displayed in some of the museums and galleries in India look elegant having beautiful etched designs with carved, inlaid, varnished or hand-painted borders. They make for a favourite gift items given on occasion like Valentine Day, Wedding, Birthday and anniversary. Taking advantage of the market need of photo frames many people over the world have taken to manufacturing and importing them abroad. It has also encouraged this craftsmanship and has given a fillip to this particular industry.