Vintage aerial photo - try to sell, or reproduce in some way?

jay moussy · Jun 20, 2021

At a yard sale, years ago I bought a mounted aerial view of Boston waterfront, 36' by 45".
It was taken by an aerial photo outfit based at the local municipal airport, and no longer exists.

I like it (see below), but have no real place to display it, and would like to sell it locally.
Should I market it with some watermark? Where?

Reproduce it for non commercial purposes?
Do I have the right to do that, considering that the creator is no longer doing business, apparently.

It is worth sharing: one of the striking aspects of the picture is that the mid-sixties waterfront, sappy parking lots, abandoned decks and what not, is now a tony neighborhood with fancy hotels and office towers, high-price restaurants. A good section of the financial district had yet to emerge out of the ground! In a way I would think one of these places may want that in a lobby or conference room!

Edited size down!

Jim Jones · Jun 20, 2021

Why mutilate a historically valuable resource by watermarking it? Ideally, a high resolution file should be made available somewhere searchable and accessible for the interested experts and general public to download.

jay moussy · Jun 20, 2021

A few notes:
- - watermarking, (or other means) would just be for a pre-sale, not altering the physical work.
-- do I have rights to publish or release publicly?

It seems that a somewhat similar image, much smaller print, is at the Boston Public library!:
https://archive.org/details/downtownboston00aeri/page/n1/mode/2up

MattKing · Jun 20, 2021

I am guessing that you meant to describe it as 36" x 45", rather than 36" x 45" (36 feet x 45 inches).
You own the print, and you can sell that.
You don't own the copyright. Ownership of the copyright would give you the right to publish or release publicly copies (physical or digital) of the print.
Alternatively, copyright may now be in the public domain, which may give everyone the right to publish or release publicly.

AgX · Jun 20, 2021

jay moussy said:
It seems that a somewhat similar image, much smaller print, is at the Boston Public library!:
https://archive.org/details/downtownboston00aeri/page/n1/mode/2up

That a photograph already has been published does not give you automatically the right to do so too.

BrianShaw · Jun 20, 2021

https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/faqs/copyright-basics/

Summarizes duration of copyright in US. Varies based on creation date.

Sounds like a really cool print. I’d frame and hang in my den! If that’s from the early 60’s, look closely… I might be in it. My Dad liked to hang around the docks and usually took us with him.

jay moussy · Jun 20, 2021

BrianShaw said:
https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/faqs/copyright-basics/

Summarizes duration of copyright in US. Varies based on creation date.

Sounds like a really cool print. I’d frame and hang in my den! If that’s from the early 60’s, look closely… I might be in it. My Dad liked to hang around the docks and usually took us with him.

A few answers:

Yes, I meant to hang the picture at some point, and could, but spouse likes to have a lot of paintings.. no room!

I guess I could donate to some library, but will it display it, or just store out of sight?

@BrianShaw sorry, the date on back says May 78 (which is a few months before i arrived on these shores!).
So, you must have experienced the market place, up the street, now touristy "Quincy Market", when it was a bustling, meat and produce trade place, back in the day? A friend told me stories of workers getting into the booze at like 4 a.m.!

BrianShaw · Jun 20, 2021

jay moussy said:
I guess I could donate to some library, but will it display it, or just store out of sight?

That seems a good option. Once gifted, they will do whatever they do. Many gifts to museums and libraries are sold with the proceeds contributing the care and expansion of their core interests. Many museums and libraries are also very picky about what donations they accept since a lot of stuff in the past seems to have simply been discarded. An acquaintance of mine is a preservationist at Smithsonian and it seems that the cost of stabilization, preservation, and cataloging is extensive and expensive. So only the most pertinent and meaningful stuff goes through that process. Nonetheless, might be worth exploring that option if you lose the battle between paintings and historical prints. (I know of what you speak from first-hand experience!)

Kodachromeguy · Jun 20, 2021

jay moussy said:
A few answers:

Yes, I meant to hang the picture at some point, and could, but spouse likes to have a lot of paintings.. no room!

I guess I could donate to some library, but will it display it, or just store out of sight?

@BrianShaw sorry, the date on back says May 78 (which is a few months before i arrived on these shores!).
So, you must have experienced the market place, up the street, now touristy "Quincy Market", when it was a bustling, meat and produce trade place, back in the day? A friend told me stories of workers getting into the booze at like 4 a.m.!

The Quincy Market (Boston, USA) area WAS really interesting before the big renovation and "repurposing" during the Bicentennial. Oh why didn't I get down there more often and take more pictures?

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2019/03/quincy-market-boston-reuse-of-historic.html

If any of you are old-time Bostonians, you may remember the famous Durgin Park restaurant:

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2019/03/hot-coffee-coming-through-durgin-park.html

Great memories.

removed account4 · Jun 20, 2021

Bostonian Society or Boston Atheneum might be interested in it. You can’t reproduce it and s ll scans dice you don’t own the copyright ….

Vintage aerial photo - try to sell, or reproduce in some way?

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