Re: How can the Bettmann Archive possibly work (or be legal) ?

Not all reproductions are equal--much less pre-1920 reproductions. After going through a museum, take a look at the catalogs and postcards in the museum shop. Sometimes the colors in the reproductions are a far cry from the original. This seems to be a problem particularly with major exhibitions, since the originals that are being borrowed for the show are not on hand when the museum staff is checking color proof. It is perfectly possible to have two recent photographs of a public domain artwork, yet one professional photo will be of far greater value than the other, since it is a superior representation of the original.

If you want mug shots of artworks--just enough to tell which is the Mona Lisa and which the can of beans--quality doesn't matter much. In much of the market for images of artwork, the rendition of color and detail is worth money.

Jeff Ankrom
Assistant Managing Editor
Indiana University Press
jankrom[_at_]indiana.edu Received on Thu Oct 26 1995 - 14:39:30 GMT