The drama concerning a collection of antique glass-plate photographic negatives bought by a wall painter Rick Norsigian in a garage sale 10 years ago rages on.
Experts agree that the negatives seem authentic, which has spurred the beginning of sales by Norsigian of prints created from the plates. However, Adam's family and friends remain skeptical about their connection to the photographer and doubt the estimates of the plates being worth $200 million. Adam's business manager William Turnage believes that "If they were any good, he would have printed them. He printed everything that he felt was good. And [prints from Adams' hand] look completely different from what anybody they've hired to stamp out prints would make."
Norsigians experts have therorized that the negatives survived a 1937 fire in Adams studio, as suggested by scortch marks on some of them." However, Matthew Adams, the grandson of the photographer claims that Ansel was extremely cautious about his negatives, keeping them under lock and key when not using them to make prints. "He treated the negatives as if they were his children".
Ultimately the decision will be left to the public as Norsigian puts his lost negatives prints on sale.
http://www.ricknorsigian.com/
