Photo Ownership

[Kenneth and Tracie Josephson]

Jim Holland wrote:

> Greetings!
>
>         I have purchased PRCo prints from a multitude of sources and received
> the same identical print from several different sources.  And each of
> these prints was made from a negative - and the prints were not copies
> of another print - these are readily identified.
>         So it is possible that there was more than one photographer at the same
> location snapping photos and very possibly it was some type of railfan
> excursion.  Even the photo that Fred thinks is his own could be the
> print of another photographer who was at the same location - but there
> may be special identifying features where Fred can identify his photo.

Case in point: You and I were standing together at Clearview Loop snapping pictures
in 1976 and were also near each other at SHJ earlier in the day.

Plus the beautiful night shot Roberta Hill took on November 13, 1971 of a PAT grey
1700 on the last 44 Knoxville run on Smithfield Street (followed by a 1600
interurban and two more cars) is nearly identical to another shot published during
the 1970s (though that could be Roberta's shot since her notes on the back indicate
she had several 8 X 10s made for friends.)

>
>         Think we have been thru this before and are well versed about posting
> the work of others.    NO  ONE  HERE  is guilty of posting Fred's work
> --  the finger pointing needs to be done elsewhere!

Fred cc'd a letter he wrote to Dave Mewhinney to this list.

I am frustrated because I have a number of Pittsburgh, Philly and DC prints that
are not featured on Dave's site by anyone else. Since the photographers did not
identify themselves on the back of the prints, I can't share these pictures on the
web site. I have no way of knowing who (if anyone) currently owns the rights.

I have an unidentified shot of retired Pittsburgh Lowfloors being torched, a shot
of a Lowfloor going through a car washer (oops, leak detection unit- Pittsburgh
never washed their cars) and even the familiar 1920s print of the trolley meeting
the Sarah Street horsecar. I believe (but may be wrong) the latter shot belongs to
PTM's library, but the photographers of  the other two are unknown to me. Ken J.