One mans trash is another mans treasure

[dlalonde]

October 28, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- Prints that a California man purchased at a garage sale for $45 may actually be worth millions.

Richard Norsigian bought the 60 glass negatives nearly ten years ago from a guy in Fresno. He says he talked the man down from $60.

The negatives all date back to the 1920s and 1930s and were each kept inside manila envelopes that were deteriorating in age.

Norsigian had the negatives scanned and developed into prints, which friends and family said resembled the work of famed photographer Ansel Adams.

Adams, known for his black and white photos of Yosemite National Park, also used the glass negative format.

Norsigian began researching Adams to determine if the prints actually were authentic.

He enlisted the help of Los Angeles-area attorney Arnold Peter, who gathered a group of forensic experts.

A handwriting expert confirmed that the writing on the envelopes was that of Virginia Adams -- Ansel's wife.

"That was a turning point," Norsigian said.

A meteorological expert compared Norsigian's negatives to published Adams photographs taken at the same California location. Norsigian says the expert determined the photos were taken on the same day after looking at the cloud formation, the snow on the mountains and the shadow cast by a tree.

Norsigian's attorney says the negatives are worth millions.

Based on what I've seen, there is the notion that someone other than Ansel Adams took any of these photographs is just not reasonable or rational," Peter said.

Ansel Adams Trust denies the authenticity of the collection.

Still, collectors have been offering Norsigian hefty amounts of money for the negatives.

[windrider86]

I'd be grinning, thats for sure!

[Gobae]

Originally Posted by dlalonde

A handwriting expert confirmed that the writing on the envelopes was that of Virginia Adams -- Ansel's wife.

A meteorological expert compared Norsigian's negatives to published Adams photographs taken at the same California location. Norsigian says the expert determined the photos were taken on the same day after looking at the cloud formation, the snow on the mountains and the shadow cast by a tree.

Based on what I've seen, there is the notion that someone other than Ansel Adams took any of these photographs is just not reasonable or rational," Peter said.

I can come up with two reasonable and rational options. They were taken by his wife and/or his photography second. Both options meet the expert's assessments.

But given that the Adams' estate is disavowing authenticity, does that mean they've relinquished their copyright to them even if they end up being verified?

[apeter]

I am the entertainment attorney who has been working with a group of experts for the past three years to once and for all prove that over 60 glass negatives purchased at a Fresno garage sale were in fact created by Ansel Adams. Our experts included two court qualified hand-writing analysts, the former Curator of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and a meteorologist who was engaged to examine an authenticated Ansel Adams print and one virtually identical negative among those found at the garage sale. The task of this expert was to determine whether by looking at the cloud formation, shadows and snow drifts, it was possible to determine if the two images were captured on the same day and at the same time. Last but not least, on our team was Mr. Patrick Alt who I had the pleasure to work with and learn from. His expertise in this area is beyond reproach. After obtaining written reports from these experts, we asked a former FBI Agent and Section Chief and a former Assistant United States Attorney and Legal Commentator on ABC News to tell us if the evidence was sufficient under the highest standard used in US courts (beyond a reasonable doubt). In essence, we put the negatives on trial. We anticipate releasing the final results of our investigation later this month. If you are interested in being notified of the results and findings, please register at Rick Norsigian. As an added inducement, those individuals who register on the website will have the opportunity to view before anyone else in the world 17 never before seen photographs we believe were created by Ansel Adams.