Dear Museum-L members,

 

I write to ask about
a complicated issue related to rights and reproductions. In 1998 a painting from our collection went missing while
on route to a framing shop. It has not yet been recovered. The
circumstances of its disappearance are complicated but my questions relates to
images of that painting. 

 

Our museum has received requests
from researchers for rights to reproduce the painting in publications. After
consulting with our Image Librarian we discovered the painting is technically
now in the public domain, as it was shown publicly prior to 1923. We hold the
high quality image file however, so we can request specific credit lines in the
publications, should we grant permission to use the image file. 

 

The question is how we
would like to approach reproduction requests and the credit line in
particular. It is our feeling that granting permission to reproduce the
painting in scholarly publications and educational materials is the right thing
to do as keeping the painting's image hidden does nothing to advance art
historical knowledge. We would like to adopt a credit line for the image that
acknowledges its status as missing, for example: Missing from the collection
since September 1998. Including this credit line in publications will
spread the word among scholars, museums, and other art institutions that
the painting is missing and potentially help in its recovery. 



Have you ever had a situation like this at an institution you work at? How have
you handled the problem?  If there are others I should consult about
this matter, please let me know. I will look forward to hearing your
thoughts. Please feel free to email off the list.


 

Many thanks, 

Leslie Walfish

Gallery and Collections Manager

Wriston Art Galleries

Lawrence University





 		 	   		  
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