Holman (July 14/03) - Thirty years worth of original Holman print proofs have a new home in Toronto.

Late last year thousands of older Holman originals were sent to Toronto where the Canadian Arctic Producers Co-operative catalogued and stored them in museum-quality surroundings for insurance purposes, said William Duke, general manager of Holman Eskimo Co-op.

The Canadian Arctic Producers Co-operative distributes Holman prints world-wide.

For the past 30 years the proofs of the prints that make Holman famous have been stored in special drawers and vaults within the community studio.

But they haven't been as safe as they need to be, said Duke.

"If this place burnt down tomorrow everything would be gone," he said.

When an artist completes a print they are paid $150 per proof by the Co-op. Once the proof is stamped it is the property of the Co-op and cannot be sold by the artist, said Duke.

Duke hopes through proper storage and cataloguing these historical pieces will survive for generations to come.