Few places in Manhattan remain "authentic." In a city awash with me-too "print" and frame shops, the Old Print Center remains alone. It is like a museum that does not charge admission.
One highlight here is the impressive collection of topographical prints. Browsers can find fascinating maps of old New York, some depicting the original Dutch colony that extended no further north than Wall St. (hence the name - it marked the northern most wall of the then-small village)
There is a wide range of still lifes, portrait prints, art prints, and bird/wildlife prints. Half of the fun is trying to find them in the archaic filing system.
Your enjoyment of the Old Print Center is further enriched by understanding its history. The current owner/manager, Michael Lucus, is the son of Phyllis Lucas who ran this shop as a thriving center of NYC's mid-20th Century art world. Phyllis was Dali's exclusive NYC printer for a ten-year span of Dali's career. Ask Michael and he might let you see the original Dali prints lying in a drawer in the back room.
He also does custom framing jobs (of his own prints, or yours). If you have purchased an expensive piece of art at a local gallery or at one of the auction houses, bring it to Michael to preserve and frame; he is one of the only qualified people for miles around.
It seems that hardly anyone ever comes in here (except to gawk at the interesting maps) and even fewer ever seem to buy anything. It's hard to understand how the shop can remain open on such a prime, expensive spot (52nd St and 2nd Ave in Turtle Bay). Perhaps Michael makes a mint on the occasional custom job. A few years back, his sister took half the collection out west to make money off of rich folks decorating their winter ski lodges. The shop remains open as a labor of love. See it quick - one day, when Michael is done, the Old Print Center will be done too. And NYC will have lost another original.
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