"Ansel Adams" plates found at garage sale

[David Karp]

There is an interesting story in the LA Times about a man who found some glass plate negatives for 75 cents each, and who is convinced they were made by Ansel Adams. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines

The story mentions a discussion with Adams's assistant at the time of his darkroom fire, who said that he does not remember any glass plates damaged in the fire. Not to take sides, because I have no way of knowing whether they are AA's or not, but wasn't "Monolith" made on a glass plate? It was one of the negatives damaged in the fire.

People sometimes get caught up in quests of the type described in the article. Apparently it is causing tension with his wife, and it has cost him a lot of money. Of course, if they are AA's glass plates, then they are probably worth lots more.

[John Z.]

It is an interesting article. I got the impression after reading it this morning that the plates were not taken by Ansel; there were just too many experts and people that worked with him in the early years saying they were not, and not a single one saying they thought they were. It was especially telling when his early assistant stated that Ansel would not have composed the way some of these photos were taken, and his son said the handwriting was not his.
I wonder who did take them; another early Ansel Adams-like photographer who ended up unknown.

[tim atherton]

yet there's also the common hint from the experts that these weren't good enough to be Adams - yet like all photographers, he took some really crappy pictures - especially in his early years. I've also just been looking through tons of his manzanar pictures - there's an awful lot of duffers in there too.

[paulr]

yet there's also the common hint from the experts that these weren't good enough to be Adams - yet like all photographers, he took some really crappy pictures - especially in his early years. I've also just been looking through tons of his manzanar pictures - there's an awful lot of duffers in there too.

And it's more likely for the duffers to end up in the 75 cent bin than the masterpieces!

This happens a lot ... work that the artist kept around for personal reasons, or no good reason, ends up in the public's hands after they die. And unfortunately you rarely see a disclaimer that says "ansel only kept these around to line the cat box--don't take too seriously." I've seen Strand and Weston prints on gallery walls that I'd bet anything were never meant for public consumption. Half of what Kafka wrote he'd wanted destroyed. Buyer/viewer/reader beware.

[MIke Sherck]

And it's more likely for the duffers to end up in the 75 cent bin than the masterpieces!

This happens a lot ... work that the artist kept around for personal reasons, or no good reason, ends up in the public's hands after they die. And unfortunately you rarely see a disclaimer that says "ansel only kept these around to line the cat box--don't take too seriously." I've seen Strand and Weston prints on gallery walls that I'd bet anything were never meant for public consumption. Half of what Kafka wrote he'd wanted destroyed. Buyer/viewer/reader beware.

An interesting point. Some fuss has been made over Brett Weston's decision to destroy his negatives at the end of his life rather than to leave them for others to print: had that philosophy been more widespread there certainly would be fewer crummy prints made of deceased photographer's negatives in order to fill out a gallery or museum show.

On the other hand, feelings change and if everyone did as Brett did we'd never have recognized some really exciting photographers. There are arguments on both sides of the coin.

Me, I don't save negatives for "posterity". I'm just a pack rat!

Mike

[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 www.ricknorsigian.com. 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.

[Brian Ellis]

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 www.ricknorsigian.com. 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.

When you say you are putting the negatives "on trial," do you mean you're presenting these various expert opinions in a court or administrative proceeding so that the "other side" (i.e. the Adams family and anyone else who disagrees) have an opportunity to cross-examine these various experts and/or to present their own witnesses? Or is only your side being presented?

Without knowing anything about this question other than what I've read in this thread and a few newspaper accounts, it strikes me that this is a situation in which one "side" (i.e.your client) cares greatly about the attribution of these images and so has gone to a whole lot of time, trouble, and expense in an effort to obtain the result he wants. But that those holding an opposite viewpoint (i.e. those who disagree with his desired attribution) don't have a sufficient interest (monetary or otherwise) to put forth a similar amount of time, effort, and money in an effort to obtain the opposite result. So that this is like a trial in which only one side shows up.

[Photomagica]

apeter,
Definitive evidence that these plates were or were not associated with Adams might be obtained by microscopically comparing the edges of the images on these plates with plates known to be made by Adams in the same period. The plate holder edge leaves a shadow on the plate that is a unique "finger print".

If these shadows are sharp and clear enough, a match would provide unequivocal evidence that these plates were made in holders used by Adams for other images.

I expect your experts are on top of this already, as museum professionals familiar with photography would expect to see the edge examination and comparison data as part of the evidence brought forward. I wish you well with your work to identify the provinence of these plates.
Bill Peters
Vice-President
Alberta Museums Association

[AgentX]

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.

So your expert group set out to prove the negatives were made by Ansel Adams, not to investigate who might have made the negatives...

There's a big difference.

[Rob_5419]

He's sick of weak-willed experts, their hopeful words in private melting away in public. "I'm 100% certain, no matter what they feel," Norsigian said. "I've got all this evidence."

I found the story a little saddening - how the fruit of his labour is divisiveness between himself and his wife; how the obsession with the belief that he holds Ansel Adams' work has to be true, and if an expert refutes this, then Norsigian seems to slide into conspiracy theory & paranoia, and on another tangent journey to find someone else to back him up.

This is all the more impressive from a man who claims to have known nothing about photography before he purchased the collection of plates.

Page after page yielded coincidences.

Adams, who was born in San Francisco in 1902, worked early in his career with 6 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch glass-plate negatives just like the ones Norsigian had found.

For a "blue collar worker" who knew nothing about photography to suddenly decide that a whole plate collection of negatives shot in 1902, had to be the work of Adams is a little extreme. Whole plate photography was universal in 1902 - anyone who's seen plate photographs and ceremonies of Queen Victoria's death in 1901 in England will know that.

If Norsigian was gracious enough to loan the plates to a public gallery, then his journey (and spiralling costs) might be a turning point in his diminishing returns.