Hobson's Choice for Ansel Adams Heirs: $200M Might Be Theirs If They Say Newfound Pix are Legit
Faced with a claim that a construction worker paid $45 at a garage sale for lost Ansel Adams negatives that could bring in some $200 million, outraged heirs and administrators of the famed black-and-white nature photographer’s legacy are faced with a Hobson’s choice.
They might be able to claim much or all of the $200 million, under U.S. copyright law. But to succeed with such an action they would have to allege that the glass plates were, in fact, taken by Ansel Adams, reports the Culture Monster blog of the Los Angeles Times.
And for individuals that have been publicly proclaiming the alleged Ansel Adams connection to the decades-old negatives to be bogus, that could be tough to swallow even for $200 million.
“We believe they are not Adams negatives, and don’t relish the thought of handing a moral victory to the people who are perpetuating this fantasy,” says the photograph’s grandson, Matthew Adams. He is president of the Ansel Adams gallery in Yosemite.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer Says He Helped Client Show That $45 Garage-Sale Buy Is Worth Some $200M”
