New Ansel Adams book and app: "Looking at Ansel Adams"

[RichardSperry]

In one of the video(film) interviews of Adams, he states that he has and will set up a library of his negatives in which photographers would be able to make prints from them, after his death.

Where is this library now?

Have any of you photographers been allowed access to it?

Can you post scans of your prints made from these negatives?

I will post the video if none of you have seen it, or know what I mean.

[Darin Boville]

In one of the video(film) interviews of Adams, he states that he has and will set up a library of his negatives in which photographers would be able to make prints from them, after his death.

Where is this library now?

Have any of you photographers been allowed access to it?

Can you post scans of your prints made from these negatives?

I will post the video if none of you have seen it, or know what I mean.

I believe this is the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. It appears that 10% of the Ansel Adams Publishing Trust revenues (profits?) are is obligated to go to the CCP--though that doesn't seem to have stopped Bill Turnage from threatening the CCP that he'll pull the plug if he doesn't get his way!

--Darin

[Merg Ross]

In one of the video(film) interviews of Adams, he states that he has and will set up a library of his negatives in which photographers would be able to make prints from them, after his death.

Where is this library now?

Have any of you photographers been allowed access to it?

Can you post scans of your prints made from these negatives?

I will post the video if none of you have seen it, or know what I mean.

This link should lead you to the answer:

http://ccp.uair.arizona.edu/

[Michael Alpert]

I am not going to buy this book. But I would like to thank John Sexton for his laughably self-serving post. It has led to a good discussion that separates Ansel Adams, the generous man and fine artist, from the Ansel Adams Industry, which packages Adams as a Brand Name. More "wonderful stories" ("woven" about Adam's "iconic" images) diminish Adams, if only because these stories go nowhere. What is needed is the same kind of serious critical writing that important artists in other fields, like painting and sculpture, receive. This is where the gate-keepers of Adams's estate have failed to guide his legacy correctly.

[RichardSperry]

This link should lead you to the answer:

http://ccp.uair.arizona.edu/

Thank you for the link, Merg.

I have sent them an email regarding the second, more important, question. I am looking forward to receiving an email from them.

John, you are an accomplished photographer. Have you had access to the Adams' negatives to print from?

[Brian Ellis]

Hey Michael,

That's all sort of a distinction without a difference. I think you missed the point. You're not a lawyer, by chance?

Stillman is either a named Trustee or very, very close to the Trust. I believe that *every* book since Ansel's death--every book that the Trust has cooperated with--has had her or one of the few others with the Trust--as editors or authors. So I perceive a conflict in that the people who decide who gets to use Ansel's photos and who don't--and by extension that determines sales of the book to a significant degree--are the same people who have decided that only *they* get to be the authors and editors. They both control the Trust and use that power to benefit themselves personally. It's that or they themselves really are the best authors and editors for the Ansel books, year after year. What do you think?

The result is that the books that are published with the Trust's consent, with maybe one exception, are lightweight things, burnishing Ansel's market appeal but doing little to offer any serious insight or examination of his work.

The current book, of which I've read extensive excerpts, is just the same. Lots of happy talk and the same, old, old stories. Did you know that when Ansel was shooting Moonrise he wasn't able to make his second negative because the light faded? Oh my! And that when he was shooting from the Diving Board at Half Dome he saw in his mind's eye for the first time the completed photo, etc. etc.? Reeeeaaallly? You can just imagine the Trust folks sitting around bouncing ideas for books around, ideas for books that would really sell. You can almost hear someone say "Hey, we could do *Examples* again!"

There *are* some cool things in the book--right away you see the Hasselblad contact sheet from Moon and Half Dome, that's cool--but these people are strangling Ansel. They are making him into a cartoon and his work is suffering because of it. And it sure seems that they are doing it and enriching themselves at the same time.

I guess I do have a problem with that, yes.

--Darin

From what little I know of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust you're pretty much right on. The Trust apparently has taken the position that it will authorize use of Adams' photographs only for books that the Trust itself controls, a position that supposedly inhibited serious Adams scholarship since serious scholars wouldn't want to devote major research to an Adams book that can't include Adams' photographs, nor would they wish to turn control of their work over to the Trust.

There are some Adams photographs that the Trust acknowledges have passed into the public domain and anyone is free to use those. However, I don't know which ones they are or how many. But that's of little help when it comes to serious scholarship. Who wants to devote time and effort to a serious Adams book if they can only reproduce photographs that presumably have been reasearched and analyzed over and over again by others?

With respect to enriching themselves (i.e. the trustees), I don't know about that. I'm not aware that any of the trustees have themselves written or edited any Adams books and income generated by the Trust is paid to the Ansel Adams Family Trust. However, the Trustees may very well be paying themselves hefty salaries and other benefits.According to Mary Alinder's biography of Adams, there originally were four trustees of the Publishing Rights Trust - Adams, Bill Turnage, Dave Vena, and Arthur Thornhill, Jr., the president of Little Brown. Thornhill later resigned and was replaced by John Schaefer. Adams of course is dead. Turnage is the managing director or some such title and is still around. I don't know about the others.

The Alinder book contains a fairly detailed and extensive indictment of the way the Trust has handled its responsibilities. If you believe her its been something of a disgrace though she did have some run-ins with the Trust so she's not exactly an objective observer.

[CP Goerz]

Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling/and Trustees are paying themselves hefty salaries and other benefits is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.
[aloud]
Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!

[Darin Boville]

Book just arrived via FedEx. First impression: It's a very good-looking book. Cover is matte white with a high gloss photo--makes it look like a real photo on the front and back cover. Eye-catching. Photos inside look good. Hate the san serif font for the main body text--don't know why people like that sort of thing. Read the first half on the Monolith chapter--nothing new. Sort of looks like a compilation of published info rather than any original research. At least so far. Might explain though why there is 80% overlap with *Examples*--it is one of the primary sources cited! Looks like just the thing for the Christmas season.

--Darin

[Robert Brummitt]

Looks like just the thing for the Christmas season.

--Darin[/QUOTE]

BINGO!

This will be a nice gift for my family can get me. None of the usual Socks and Under ware stuff.
A nice AA book to look at.
I still think a e-book version would be better. This way I can carry it with me always.

I'm waiting for someone to slap their head and say,"Of course, why not!"

[Doug Howk]

Have read a few of the chapters so far; and it does go over alot of old ground. And Ansel does come off as a saint; but, so what, he was at least compared to the self-promoting photographers with no real talent who are so prevalent today. Does seem like the author has at least compiled some original research gleaned from the Adams archives (caveat, the Weston chapter needs a good editor - a jumble of quotes ). Overall, an enjoyable read.