I am in the process of finalizing the images that I will use for my forthcoming biography of Robert Gould Shaw, which will be published by the University of North Carolina Press in early 2026.
I know you’re being a good guy and doing due diligence and I’m sure the publisher needs all the rights to be clear.
But I’ve never understood why ownership of a photo taken over 150 years ago comes with some kind of rights to control reproduction. I see archives and special collections all the time trying to assert rights that should belong to creator or the public domain.
Or maybe this has nothing to do with rights and you’re just trying to get a decent copy of it.
If the woman was writing on Shaw, I wonder if anyone at the Houghton had contact with her? If she did anything at Massachusetts Historical Society, I suspect either Peter Drummey or Conrad Wright would remember her.
Have you checked with Melissa Hacker Winn? She’d be my first go-to for tracking this down. Reminder that she's Director of Marketing and Communications at National Museum of Civil War Medicine. She's also a long-time collector of CW photos
I know you’re being a good guy and doing due diligence and I’m sure the publisher needs all the rights to be clear.
But I’ve never understood why ownership of a photo taken over 150 years ago comes with some kind of rights to control reproduction. I see archives and special collections all the time trying to assert rights that should belong to creator or the public domain.
Or maybe this has nothing to do with rights and you’re just trying to get a decent copy of it.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for responding. You make a good point. In the end, it's a matter of getting a usable copy of the image.
If the woman was writing on Shaw, I wonder if anyone at the Houghton had contact with her? If she did anything at Massachusetts Historical Society, I suspect either Peter Drummey or Conrad Wright would remember her.
That's a great idea. Thanks, Dean.
Have you called NY State Military Museum? Seems like it could be beyond the displayed page . . .
https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/unit-history/infantry/7th-regiment-new-york-national-guard
Have you checked with Melissa Hacker Winn? She’d be my first go-to for tracking this down. Reminder that she's Director of Marketing and Communications at National Museum of Civil War Medicine. She's also a long-time collector of CW photos
Will follow up. Thank you.
Liveauctioneers has sold a number of CDVs of RGS in uniform, including the one you are seeking.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/search/?keyword=robert%20gould%20shaw&page=1&pageSize=24&sort=-relevance&status=archive
Thanks for the link, but I don't see the image in question.
My mistake - wrong image!
No worries.