The media often feature Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein as the founders of Getty Images, but were they truly the company founders like Mr Hewlett and Mr Packard, or Steve Jobs who started up their companies from scratch in their garages?
Mark Getty and work colleague Jonathan Klein cleverly identified the potential for huge growth in the stock photo industry, sought out Tony Stone Images as the market leader, acquired the company, and left their careers at London-based Hambro’s Bank to become Chairman and CEO of the company. It was Getty Holdings, representing a consortium of Getty family interests, which bought Tony Stone Images (Tony had previously purchased Click! Chicago and my company, After-Image).
The two re-branded the business as Getty Images, and worked with Tony and his existing management to carry the company forward. So you could say that Tony Stone (who founded his enterprise in the loft of his home decades earlier) was the true founder of Getty Images.
Tony Stone catalog from 1996 Vol 8
I was insulted by Klein’s remark in the recent NY Times article, “When we began, stock photography or licensed images, preshot images being licensed, was perceived as the armpit of the photo industry,” said Jonathan Klein, the chief executive of Getty Images who helped found the agency in 1995. “No self-respecting art director or creative director would use a preshot image, because it wasn’t original, it hadn’t been commissioned by them, it wasn’t their creativity.”
I know from direct experience as the president of Tony Stone Images/LA that the top creatives regularly bought stock photography including for high visibility, big campaigns for major advertisers prior to the invention of Getty Images. I submit that neither Getty nor Klein were responsible for elevating the creative level of the stock photo business. Those laurels go to Tony and the photographer/founders of the Image Bank (Pete Turner, Jay Maisel, Larry Fried as well as businessman, James Garcia). There is no doubt of the immense achievement of Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein – they continued the acquisition of companies which Tony Stone had started, and accelerated the move into the digital world. But the very least they should do is refrain from continuously insulting those whose shoulders they stood on.
It was Tony Stone’s vision that kickstarted Getty Images’ position at top of the creative market. When I sold my company, After-Image, to Tony and became part of Tony Stone Images, we had over 400,000 photographs in the files in Los Angeles. Tony took one look at the dozens of meticulously organized file cabinets and asked me, “Why do you need all these photos?” He had recognized the highly creative nature of some of the After-Image collection but correctly realized that much was just ‘filler’.
Tony Stone catalog from the mid-1990's
Tony Stone has joined the executive team at Vivozoom
Tony’s theory then and now, reinterated on Microstock Diaries, is that there is no point in wasting time and resources on anything except the best photos in a genre. He once told me that all the world needed was a dozen of the best photos of Paris as those were the images that would run as covers, chapter openers or full page spreads. Why have photos of every little burg in Provence when those images will usually only run small. Of course this was before the Internet and the decline of print. And prior to microstock’s long tail circling the globe.
In addition to the big news last week that Tony Stone has joined former colleague, Lawrence Gould, at Vivozoom, I noticed news about a new microstock company specializing in images from Israel, with what seems to be an emphasis on religion. Is there a new era in the lifecycle of the microstock business, signaled by these two unrelated events? What do you think? Stay tuned.
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Tony Stone’s introduction into the American market was a purchase of Click Chicago. Getty aquired Tony Stone years later, and it remains the best division of Getty Images.
Interesting to read some of the backstory. Thanks.
“I noticed news about a new microstock company specializing in images from Israel, with what seems to be an emphasis on religion.”
A “niche microstock” is an oxymoron. “microstock”, at a dollar a license, needs to serve large markets. There’s no reason any shooter based in Isreal can’t submit to iStock or other (and plenty do) and find a larger customer base. There are plenty of these micro startups that make an announcement at MSG, and then just faaaade away.
Not so certain about ‘niche microstock’ being an oxymoron. Yes, probably as you suggest for contributors but not so much for buyers, I am thinking. I’ll flesh this out a bit more next week. You are welcome to chime in then too.
Interesting post Ellen. I rarely get pulled back into the world of stock image licensing these days due to a busy family and entrepreneurial life. I was lured in by your title. I helped start the TSI NYC office back in ’93 and went on to manage it until I decided to try new adventures with a dot com startup. I witnessed first hand the mergers and acquisitions. As much as I respect the accomplishments of M. Getty and J. Klein, I loved TSI for the values, the creativity standards and Tony’s vision. Something tells me his industry instincts can create another success story.
My answer the title question: he’s not a founder of Getty Images on paper but he certainly helped build their foundation.
And my opinion regarding where the market is heading… good content is king. The best content in a niche market should produce respectable revenues no matter what the pricing and licensing recipe is. If only I had been able to get investors 5 yrs ago, I’d be in the game still today.
Bernard DeLierre
ps. the catalog covers you posted bring back so many memories!
Bernard,
Well put. Being the assistant for two presidents of TSI it was rather disappointing to see the direction it took after the aquisitions. I loved Tony like my own family. He is the true founder.
It will never be replicated.
Yes, I believe that Tony Stone was indeed the True founder of Getty Images. I was an account executive in the Los Angeles office during this time ( March,1995 – December,1996). As a “fly on the wall”, I noticed that Klein and Getty had many meetings with Tony Stone and the management team about the business model of TSI and once acquired,the acquisitions were seemingly their priority. The business model was that of TSI along with the creative vision that carried over from the original Tony Stone creative team offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and New York.
[...] say he’s the true founder of Getty Images, but however he’s described, Tony Stone’s move to re-enter the market with his former [...]
MY WIFE LOURDES CARLES MANAGED THE T S I IN MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. I CAN TELL YOU FIRST HAND, THAT TONY STONE IMAGES WAS FAR MORE THAN JUST A BUSINESS.
IT WAS A SECOND FAMILY WHO LIVED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. WE ALSO HAD SOME COUSINS IN L.A , CHICAGO, N.Y. ETC. NOT ONLY WERE WE A FIMILY, WE WERE A HAPPY FAMILY.
WE NEVER REALLY KNEW HOW WONDERFUL IT WAS TO WORK WITH TONY UNTIL HE SOLD THE BUSINESS AND GETTY TOOK OVER. THAT WAS ONLY BUSINESS.
STEVE AND LOURDES LYNCH
thanks for sharing!
Joined Colchester Camera Club (Essex, UK) in 1970 as a novice in 1970 as I wanted to take better photographs of my young sons and purchased a Mamiya 1000DTL SLR. By the mid seventies I had learned a great deal from my fellow members and a professional photographer friend, Alan Brooking, recommended that I contact Tony Stone Associates in St. John’s Wood London. They told me what they were interested in (I was taking 35mm Kodachrome Slides in those days) and I sent about 100 of which the library kept sixty.
My first success was on 31 March 1977 when sales reference 867, for photograph Y06T-17702-T earned me £19. I was thrilled as it was a portrait of one of my sons. Eventually about 400 of my slides were held in the library and generated a steady and useful income.
In those early days the statements were hand written and I was even more thrilled when one my shots was used on the outside of one of the small TSA adversiting brochures; of which I still have several.
On just one occasion I met Tony and he told me that only about 5% of the photographs in the library actually made money and that when he was selecting new material he was aiming for the ones that would join that 5%.
I still find photography a wonderful hobby and forty one years on now use a Nikon D200 SLR, but still cannot capture the quality of Kodachrome.
Regards,
Jim Sparks
Appleton
Warrington
Cheshire, UK