I once had a brief career as a public relations person, first with VW/Porsche, then with Ford. To suggest that I wasn't cut out for the work would be an understatement, for to succeed in that business you had to be a "hail fellow well-met" with a strong appetite for beer and bs and eager to play the company game. I was friendly enough but hated the phony social attitudes, sipped only moderate amounts of wine, detested the need to boast of non-existent product attributes and was far too rebellious for corporate life. To be honest, I rather enjoyed the VW/Porsche gig because we were heavily involved in motorsport and besides, my German bosses exuded a European sophistication that fascinated me. But Ford was a different world and it wasn't long before I switched to the ad agency game where writers with a streak of individualism were welcomed and well-paid.

What brought these memories to mind was an article in McLellan's Chronicles where historian Wallace A. Wyss bemoans the passing of old-fashioned press kits, which have been replaced by modern CD-ROM's. He particularly misses the black & white photos. Wyss puts it this way: "Because a nice glossy black & white print is a thing of beauty. In contrast to those youngsters raised when all movies are color, a good black & white film or picture has a lot of emotion to it, a full range of shades within the black and white. Sometimes color just makes the subject look cheap and gaudy." He goes on to say, "In addition, I find glossy black & white prints durable. I have had some in my collection for over 40 years, kept them through dozens of moves from house to apt to house, ad infinitum, and sometimes I admit I didn't always store them well."

I'll admit to an appreciation of black & white photo art but as one who had to write the crap that accompanied those glossies I don't miss the press kits one little bit. Heck, I don't even miss reporting on the new car scene. The classics are much more fun. In black & white and color.