After thinking about Andrew Schank's thread about why we take pictures, I was reminded of an avid amateur photog. who used an R4, 50 mm 'cron and XP1 - at the time - who amassed a wounderful body of black & white prints of exquisite quality-hundreds. Some were featured on the boxes of Ilford paper.

I became aquainted with his work when it appeared in Modern Photography in the 80s. I subsequently acquired one of his prints and one thing lead to another and I found out he died several years ago.

Dealing with the Leicas was no problem, but his widow has all the gorgeous prints and does not know what to do with them. I have spoken to several agencies/organizations about preserving this work, but there have been no concrete replies.

The question I have been wondering about is: Since I am not as famous as Adams, or Weston, and Universities are not clamoring for my negatives, nor are publishers banging down my door for an autobiography, what will happen to my pictures when I am non longer happening.

I know the answer is: Don't worry about it-just enjoy it now. BUT, I can't help but feel a good deal of me is locked up in the images and I would like to see it/them preserved some how for at least 2 generations as long as my grandchildren, or if I am lucky, great-grandchildren are around, so they will at least be able to connect a real person with the evanescent images. I hope to be able to set up some kind of trust that my children can run, and use to at least keep them for family if not others.

Enough of that. Any other meanderings on teh subject would be appreciated.

Time to get back to the real world of today and pack for my trip.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richard.ilomaki@hotmail.comR), December 13, 2001

Answers

Check with your local government or university srchives dept. Often they will accept donations of collections (particularily if they show 'life' in any way as it happens). Though they may not give money for them, they often will store them as a collection, realizing that in 50 years they will become important documentation of todays life.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), December 13, 2001.

I second the notion of approaching a university. In the early 1970's I headed a photographic project to document the social environment of the small city where I lived. We produced a travelling exhibition, and when it was finished its run, the local university library was extremely eager to add the pictures to their archives. This was helped by the fact that we had good documentation on the subjects, and that all the prints were done to archival standards.

Putting the negs and prints in such a collection would ensure that they'd remain available to both your family and the general public.

-- Paul Chefurka (chefurka@home.com), December 13, 2001.

Photographs of past local events would be appreciated by historical societies, police and fire departments, and veteran's groups. Also, one might consider donating them to the local high school or college, especially if the school teaches photography. Also, our local library is always searched for material to be displayed. There is even a staff member delegated to this task. Best, Don

-- Donald A. Wansor (wansor@optonline.net), December 13, 2001.

About 10 years ago I donated much of my older work to the VIREO image bank at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. I still have access to the original slides for making scans or prints, I can still sell prints of these photos, and VIREO is also marketing the photos while I get a commission. The slides are stored under the best archival conditions available, far better than I could have provided.

These photos will outlast me by decades and will be available to benefit the community at large instead of gathering dust & mold in a box in some attic.

-- Douglas Herr (telyt@earthlink.net), December 13, 2001.

I have thought about this as well. You end up with thousands of images if you are a lifetime long photographer like many of us are. Realistically, most of my work will likely not be used for anything after I kick the bucket except for by any remaining close family. That doesn't bother me, however, as I take images to enjoy now and later in my life, and not for any kind of imortalization process.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), December 13, 2001.

I've considered creating one body of work to be given to the local library/historical society (haven't really researched it) and creating a more personal body for my family. I would think that if you specifically bequeth them to a family member who appreciates what they mean to you, they would take proper care (or at least keep up with where they are) of them (and, hopefully, value them themselves). The most important thing would be to keep everything organized.

-- Ron Buchanan (ronb@fusive.com), December 13, 2001.

I spent about 5 years dealing with a collection. It had been owned by a, now, long closed studio and had been donated. Negatives spanned the years from the end of the Civil War to the end of WWII. The oldest negatives were on glass plates. Younger ones were on cellulose nitrate stock [this had to be digitally recorded] and the last, on more modern, polymer base. Of course, some were obviously important; such as confederate soldiers being mustered-out. Some were very mundane, but now of great historical significance.

In my experience, the biggest job wasn't doing the archiving; it was getting the money. Fortunately, we have a lot of wealthy people here.

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), December 13, 2001.

Flippant answer, how do you know the Ilomakis or Sitaramans of the year 2101 will not turn glassy eyed after looking at the first few pictures ;-)

Serious answer, you would need to 1) make archival images and 2) set up a trust account with a bank or a law firm to pay for the fees to manage the images in perpetuity. If you leave it with family, you can expect scattering, fights, neglect and a loss of the original intent by your descendants. That's why trust services exist. Alternatively, if you live in a prosperous country where personal history programs are well funded at the state or municipal level (as they seem to be, especially in the Western States of the US), you might entrust it to them. Libraries are another option, but recent reports (will find you the links) suggest a latter day, and shocking, willingness to dump "old stuff" on the part of at least some archival libraries.

If you have seen the documentary series 7-up, 14-up, 28-up etc. videotapes of yourself and family might be vastly more interesting to those who are yet to come. Especially if you give them advice on the fortunes of your life and anecdotes about your own parents and grandparents.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 13, 2001.