Ansel Adams long lost negatives: real or not? Almost a decade ago, Rick Norsigian, a painter for the Fresno, California school system, bought two deteriorated boxes at a local garage sale. Little did he know that his shopping venture for antiques and the 65 glass plates he purchased were photographic negatives by Ansel Adams. Created more than 80 years ago, these negatives were of the iconic American photographer whose images of the West inspired the country. Norsigian, who kept the glass plates under his pool table for four years before realizing they may be too valuable to store at home, now believes they were from Adams' early career, a period that is not well documented since a 1937 darkroom fire destroyed 5,000 of his plates. However, it is reportedly said that Adams' grandson is unconvinced that several dozen glass plates found at a garage sale were photographic negatives created by the famed nature photographer.Matthew Adams, who runs the Ansel Adams Gallery, said even if the photos are proven beyond a doubt to be authentic, they are not worth the $200 million value estimated by an art appraiser. A lawyer for Rick Norsigian, the California man who paid $45 for the negatives a decade ago, said that based on overwhelming evidence gathered by a team experts "no reasonable person would have any doubt that these, in fact, were the long-lost images of Ansel Adams."Adams, who reviewed Norsigian's evidence last year, said he wanted more scientific tests, including carbon dating, to prove beyond a doubt that the work was that of his grandfather. He also said that circumstantial evidence was unconvincing, since several other highly-skilled photographers were known to shoot at the same places around the same period.Even if Norsigian's glass plates are authentic Ansel Adams photographs, they would have mostly historical value, "not anywhere near" the $200 million estimate given by Beverly Hills art appraiser David W. Streets, Adams said.Streets said his estimate was based on decades of print sales and rights fees. "There will always be a demand for Ansel Adams' work," he said. "The long term potential is very easy to prove for these."While Matthew Adams is unconvinced, he doesn't doubt that Norsigian is sincere in his belief that he has Ansel Adams negatives. "I think that they do believe it, but I don't think that they have proven it," he said. He doesn't agree, however, with one Adams trustee who was quoted Wednesday suggesting the glass plates were a "scam."For now, the photos will go on a tour of universities and museums, starting in October at Fresno State University, Norsigian said.
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