Author Topic: Magnum Photos archive sold 200.000 photos to Dell computer boss (Read 9546 times)

dk · « **on:** February 05, 2010, 08:56 »

Magnum Photos entire archive of prints - billed as the most valuable collection in the history of photography - has been sold to an investment firm run by the boss of computer giant Dell.

Nearly 200,000 original press prints of images captured by photo legends such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa and Elliott Erwitt have been sold to MSD Capital, a private investment firm run by Michael S Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc.

The Magnum Archive Collection - which dates from the 1930s - documents major world events such as the D-Day landings.

And it includes portraits of world leaders and Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe.

The photos will be 'preserved and catalogued' at the Harry Ransom Center, a museum based at the University of Texas.

The photographers will retain copyright and the licensing rights to all images in the Collection, according to a statement released to Amateur Photographer.

Details of the deal have not been disclosed.

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Magnum_Photos_print_archive_snapped_by_investment_firm_news_294469.html

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=873129

Red Dove · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2010, 11:58 »

He can afford it. Having just made 300+ people redundant in the UK

melastmohican · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2010, 13:39 »

I thought he just bought bunch of prints. Collection and copyrights still belong to Magnum.

alias · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2010, 13:59 »

The various offices of Magnum used to contain boxes and boxes full of duplicate prints - for circulation and distribution to the clients. Before computers there were boxes marked eg hats, beards, cars, dogs etc. It was a very analogue system although later they introduced some degree of color coding. When a request came in the picture researchers would go through the boxes pulling out potentially suitable images.

Same as they had draws full of transparencies.

I'm guessing that it is the for - distribution prints which have been sold. Later those would even I think often have been RC rather than fibre based prints. So whilst these are going to be interesting and valuable artefacts (nicely stamped etc) I doubt they all have the same value as, say, archival gallery prints.

I could be wrong.

ETA: I guess that the agency side has now been digitized and the archival print side continues as ever. Good for them for selling off what is effectively no longer needed. It's still a co op.

macrosaur · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2010, 15:21 »

I don't get it.

If DELL buys something there's something fishy going on.

But after all even Bill Gates bought Corbis and he still can't manage to make it profitable after many years.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2011, 14:03 »

Quote from: macrosaur on February 08, 2010, 15:21

But after all even Bill Gates bought Corbis and he still can't manage to make it profitable after many years.

Gates set up Corbis, he didn't buy it.

MikLav · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2011, 17:14 »

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on January 27, 2011, 14:03

Quote from: macrosaur on February 08, 2010, 15:21

But after all even Bill Gates bought Corbis and he still can't manage to make it profitable after many years.

Gates set up Corbis, he didn't buy it.

and his initial purpose wasn't a stock photography business: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Corbis-Corporation-Company-History.html

RacePhoto · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2011, 18:40 »

Wow that was good. I have to go shopping and come back to read the whole thing very carefully.

At first I was wondering why a year old thread, about Dell preserving a collection and donating it to a university, was being brought back from the dead pool, but now your message tagged it with some interesting background on Corbis. Thanks!

Quote from: MikLav on January 27, 2011, 17:14

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on January 27, 2011, 14:03
Quote from: macrosaur on February 08, 2010, 15:21

But after all even Bill Gates bought Corbis and he still can't manage to make it profitable after many years.

Gates set up Corbis, he didn't buy it.

and his initial purpose wasn't a stock photography business: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Corbis-Corporation-Company-History.html