The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-24
THE ABUSE OF PHOTOGRAPHS.
Suits Against Cigarette and Tobacco Firms
for Exhibiting the Likeness of
Society Women.
New York Sun.

Few things have been of more in,
terest to the beautiful women Of Amer,
lea than the decision of the Supreme
Court of Minnesota concerning the
ownership of photographs. 1t is the
decision handed down after nearly a
years litigation, and it makes photo
graphs the property of the original of
whom they are taken. Several suits
against tobacco and cigarette firms for
exhibiting the pictures of well-known
actresses, and in three instances of
prominent society women, in more or
less Objectionable positions of attire.
have all been decided against the to-
bacco firms. 1t is not unlikely, now
that photographers will be restricted
from using the negatives of their GUS
toners, that there will be more of an
opportunity for the much-photograph-
ed fraternity of beautiful women in
this country to protect themselves.
There have been some very painful in
stances of the abuse of their photo
graphs by photographers. The case of
Miss Rehan is very well known.
A photograph of that distinguished
actress has been long exhibited in shop
windows and was finally reproduced
in photographic form by the owners of
a prominent cigar factory for advertis-
ing purposes. The picture from the
waist up is undoubtedly that of Miss
Rehan, but the arrangement Of the
skirts, and it is particularly objec-
tionable one even from the cigarette
manufacturers standpoint, is taken
from some other source. The photo
grapher took one of Miss Rehan's pic
lures, cut it off at the waist, and at
tached it to the lower half of a partially
disreputable photograph in his own
possession. A number of copies were
made, and the market was flooded with
the insulting pictures. There was q
good deal of talk Of legal fight, but
the case involved so many difficulties
and Miss Rehan became so nervous
over the matter that litigation was
finally abandoned.
Another instance is that Of Mrs. FitZ-
herbert, who is a very we'll known So
ciety woman in London. 4 photog-
rapher took picture of her in classical
attire. Wien Mrs. Herbert's husband
saw the picture he condemned it, and
note was sent to the photographer the
following morning to destroy the plate.
Within three weeks over 5000 of the
photographs had been distributed in
London, and it has been impossible to
stop the sales, as the incident was a
peculiarly unfortunate one.
Mrs. Fitzherbert, a woman of entire
modesty of manner and extremely
near-sighted, left the arrangement of
the Greek drapery entirely to the pho
tographer. He placed her in a reclin-
ing position, and after nearly an hours
work, took the Objectionable photo
graph. She did not see copy of it
until he sent it to her house some days
later forapproval. The protest, of course,
came too late. The next move of the
courts will probably be toward the ap-
prehension Of some Of the snapshot
private photographers. These Paul
Prys have made it business to look
around bathing houses and beaches to
sscure photographs of women wherever
possible. Some of these photographs,
when they had the element of pru-
riency in them were copied extensively
and publicly sold. One photographer
in Nassau street had huge stock of
such photographs, and they were sold
at 50 cents apiece. They represent
young women at Narragansett, Long
Branch, and other beaches, and three
of the faces were recognized as the
daughters of wellknown New York
ers. 1t is species of outrage that must
inevitably be put into court.