What do you do with your photo archive

[peterpix]

I've long urged my older photo friends to think about what will happen to their photographs when  they are gone. Now nearly age 70, I have to face the question. Despite a 45-year career in photography, I have no  national rep, but I have produced 9 books with my photos and certainly many  older images now have some historical value.  I was never a full time photographer, but I consider  my images as part of my life's work. So I think I have enough good work that an archive could be placed in an institution, probably with a cash gift to support the archiving etc. I do plan to make a large number of prints, but those will be mostly for my family.

But what to give? Everything: b&w negs, transparencies, digital files? Edit the archive and just give what you want to be known for? How to give digital files? The more you think about this, the more questions arise!  

What would you do? Love to here what people have already done, planned, or just thinking about.

Peter

[feppe]

My suggestion is to donate digital files to Wikimedia Commons.

[PeterAit]

I've long urged my older photo friends to think about what will happen to their photographs when  they are gone. Now nearly age 70, I have to face the question. Despite a 45-year career in photography, I have no  national rep, but I have produced 9 books with my photos and certainly many  older images now have some historical value.  I was never a full time photographer, but I consider  my images as part of my life's work. So I think I have enough good work that an archive could be placed in an institution, probably with a cash gift to support the archiving etc. I do plan to make a large number of prints, but those will be mostly for my family.

But what to give? Everything: b&w negs, transparencies, digital files? Edit the archive and just give what you want to be known for? How to give digital files? The more you think about this, the more questions arise!  

What would you do? Love to here what people have already done, planned, or just thinking about.

Peter

The Library of Congress has an interest in American artists. I know this because of their interest in my father's work (he is a composer). Whether this extends to photographers I don't know, but it's worth looking into, I think.

[DarkPenguin]

The cats get em just like everything else.

[Rob C]

I've long urged my older photo friends to think about what will happen to their photographs when  they are gone. Now nearly age 70, I have to face the question. Despite a 45-year career in photography, I have no  national rep, but I have produced 9 books with my photos and certainly many  older images now have some historical value.  I was never a full time photographer, but I consider  my images as part of my life's work. So I think I have enough good work that an archive could be placed in an institution, probably with a cash gift to support the archiving etc. I do plan to make a large number of prints, but those will be mostly for my family.

But what to give? Everything: b&w negs, transparencies, digital files? Edit the archive and just give what you want to be known for? How to give digital files? The more you think about this, the more questions arise!  

What would you do? Love to here what people have already done, planned, or just thinking about.

Peter

Peter

70 is a wonderful age; my mother sailed happily through life until she hit 92/93 (she refused to discuss those matters so I respect her privacy) and I think one shouldn't dwell on numbers in a personal context. Other people's numbers perhaps, your own, never!

Does 'family' include your own kids? If so, keep the cash gift for them - they can look after any prints and their destination!

As with charities, I have a deep-seated distrust of institutions ever since I escaped from one - no, not that one, a different type. My problem arises from this: what sort of mentality wants to spend its time deep in the past of another person's life? Makes me shudder.

Rob C

[bdkphoto]

I've long urged my older photo friends to think about what will happen to their photographs when  they are gone. Now nearly age 70, I have to face the question. Despite a 45-year career in photography, I have no  national rep, but I have produced 9 books with my photos and certainly many  older images now have some historical value.  I was never a full time photographer, but I consider  my images as part of my life's work. So I think I have enough good work that an archive could be placed in an institution, probably with a cash gift to support the archiving etc. I do plan to make a large number of prints, but those will be mostly for my family.

But what to give? Everything: b&w negs, transparencies, digital files? Edit the archive and just give what you want to be known for? How to give digital files? The more you think about this, the more questions arise!  

What would you do? Love to here what people have already done, planned, or just thinking about.

Peter

There will be some good information here  http://www.apag.us/  they are an association of photographer's estates.  Some top people involved here and I'm  sure they will have good information and resources on archive / estate planning.

[peterpix]

There will be some good information here  http://www.apag.us/  they are an association of photographer's estates.  Some top people involved here and I'm  sure they will have good information and resources on archive / estate planning.

Many thanks, Bruce. APAG is a great resource. Just checked them out and already got a few ideas.

[wolfnowl]

Peter:  Something you may or may not have considered is the issue of copyright.  Not sure about the US, but here in Canada, IIRC, copyright is maintained by the estate for 50 years after the end of the calendar year in which you leave.  Canada also has moral rights, which I don't believe exist in the US, and there are also model's rights, which I believe last for a similar term.

Mike.