Ansel Adams’s Missing Photography Discovered

LOS ANGELES (GaeaTimes.com) — It seems Rick Norsigian has struck gold amidst a pile of unwanted items at a garage sale 10 years ago. This Californian painter is the owner of 65 glass negatives created by famed nature photographer Ansel Adams in the early period of his career.

David W. Streets, the art dealer who hosted the unveiling of these photographs at Californian Gallery said that, “It truly is a missing link of Ansel Adams and history and his career”. The photographs were taken between 1919 and the early 1930’s, well before Adams became nationally recognized.”This is going to show the world the evolution of his eye, of his talent, of his skill, his gift, but also his legacy,” Streets said. “And it’s a portion that we thought had been destroyed in the studio fire.” Photograph expert Patrick Alt, who help in verifying the authenticity of these negatives, is of the opinion that Adams used them in his teaching class in Pasadena, in early 1940’s. He also said, “I think this clearly explains the range of work in these negatives, from very early pictorialist boat pictures, to images not as successful, to images of the highest level of his work during this time period.”
But it is impossible to be sure why Adams really stored them in Pasadena and never went back to reclaim them. The plates were individually wrapped in newspaper inside deteriorating manila envelopes. Notations on each envelope appeared to have been made by Virginia Adams, the photographer’s wife.

Norsigian, who has spent the last decade trying to prove the worth of his discovery, is now ready to cash in his findings to museums and collectors for $200 millions. Interestingly, he bought these negatives for a price of $45 only(negotiated down from $70) from a garage sale dealer 10 years.