Museum Image Question

 

Elizabeth Marlowe @ElizMarlowe 12:09 AM · 2 wrz 2023
"Folks who write about museums: what is your sense on what permissions I need to publish my own photos of installations and gallery labels in a scholarly article? / I've somehow managed to avoid this question up until now, but a press I'm currently working with wants me to obtain permissions".

Patty Gerstenblith @PGerstenblith ·2 g.

The underlying work (the antiquities) are in the public domain. The copyright in the photo is yours. The museum arguably has a copyright in the exhibit arrangement and you’re copying that in the photo, but you’re not using your copy for the same purpose so probably fair use. /The museum has a copyright in the label text. Your use may be fair use, depending on a 4-factor analysis: eg, how much of the label you used, whether for the same or different purpose (such as critique). Commercial vs nonprofit use is not dispositive (a common misperception). · 2 g. Depends on the museum but they sometimes have a page detailing that (though usually in press section). I’ve used my own photos of installations + museum photos with proper credits in media but maybe academic papers work differently.

With the museum exhibit arrangement, the issue of the selection of angle, lighting, composition, your photo is your individual, creative, interpretation of a space, and then copyright of the image is less of a straightforward issue. Museums should be happy people are writing about them and not making life difficult for those that take an interest in what they are doing.