Ansel Adams Photos Found - See what their worth.....

[KCmike]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/07/27/ansel.adams.discovery/?hpt=Sbin

Experts: Ansel Adams photos found at garage sale worth $200 million.
Read the article.

[Gianna'sPapa]

There have been some follow-ups to that article that are disputing the claim. There was a relative of an Uncle Earl who has photos that match the plates. He lived in the area where the plates were purchased. The whole thing has now come under further scrutiny.

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm also unclear of how the value was determined. Having the plates doesn't mean having publication rights. It someone buys my old hard drives in a garage sale, I don't think they can go around selling the photos on them.

[Daisy14'sDH]

I'm also unclear of how the value was determined. Having the plates doesn't mean having publication rights. It someone buys my old hard drives in a garage sale, I don't think they can go around selling the photos on them.

If they are the originals and no other original exists, that means you have gotten rid of them and sold them to someone else. Which means that someone else now owns the rights to them. So of course they can start selling copies of them, they are now that persons property. But in the digital age how do you truly secure anything you own? Its a tough call with digital images, but with negatives its solid IMHO.

[photo_chick]

Check the current copyright laws... they are pub dom now. The person who owns the plates can sell prints, but they cannot renew the copyright. But thier value would be if they are indeed Ansel Adams work and not the prints that could be sold.