RonS50
25th of April 2004 (Sun), 12:00
In the new issue (May, 2004) There is a great article on the history of copyright protection for photographs. It was a picture taken of none other than Oscar Wilde and used in a store promotion to sell mens hats. This went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court which in writing for the majority Justice Samuel Miller wrote, it would not have extended protection to maps and charts in its first copyright act, in 1790 (nearly half a century before the invention of photography). And an author, he added is simply the one "to whom anything owes its origin"
None of the readily available sources indicate whether Wilde, who died in 1900 at age 46, was aware of his cameo role in U.S. legal history.
The photographer was Napoleon Sarony who went on to photograph the Supreme Court Justices in 1866 at age 45.
None of the readily available sources indicate whether Wilde, who died in 1900 at age 46, was aware of his cameo role in U.S. legal history.
The photographer was Napoleon Sarony who went on to photograph the Supreme Court Justices in 1866 at age 45.