Adams’s trust calls discovery a fraud

Adams is renowned for his timeless black and white photographs of the American West, which were produced with darkroom techniques that heightened shadows and contrasts to create mood-filled landscape portraits. He died in 1984 at 82.

His photographs are widely reproduced on calendars, posters, and in coffee table books, while his prints are coveted by collectors. His print “Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park’’ fetched $722,500 at auction last month in New York, a record for 20th-century photography.

Norsigian, who works for the Fresno Unified School District, is planning to capitalize on his discovery. He has set up a website to sell prints made from 17 negatives from $45 for a poster to $7,500 for a darkroom print with a certificate of authenticity. A documentary on his quest to have the negatives authenticated is in the works, as well as a touring exhibition that will debut at Fresno State University in October.

Representatives of Adams, however, said they’re not buying Norsigian’s assertions.

“It’s an unfortunate fraud,’’ said Bill Turnage, managing director of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. “It’s very distressing.’’

Turnage said he’s consulting lawyers about possibly suing Norsigian for using a copyrighted name for commercial purposes. He described Norsigian as on an “obsessive quest.’’

“We’ve been dealing with him for a decade,’’ he said. “I can’t tell you how many times he’s called me.’’

Adams’s grandson, Matthew Adams, who heads the Ansel Adams Gallery in San Francisco, said he reviewed Norsigian’s authentications last fall and thinks they’re stretches. Many photographers took pictures of the same places Adams did in that era, he said.

“There is no real hard evidence,’’ he said. “I’m skeptical.’’