Hip Coyote wrote:
My recollection on this was that you are an employee of the hospital and that some admin person saw your photographs in your locker and asked that you take some shots for display in the hospital. On this forum you asked for advice on how to proceed. Some talked about contracts, expectations, reimbursement, ownership of the images, etc. What was finally agreed to? If you have no agreement, then this is, somewhat, a problem of your own making.
What you have here is the outcroppings of, I suspect, a lack of upfront agreement on the display of the images. Because you are an employee of the hospital, you are approaching this without much power in the matter and possibly no legal standing. (Also even if you are legally correct, litigation is expensive, there are no winners and only the attorneys usually come out ahead...I've been there many times in my career.)
In any event, they are the customer (if they paid you..not sure). They can display what they want. If you own the image then you can display it elsewhere and do with it what you want. If they own it, then it is theirs to do with what they want.
Would I get into some draw the line in the sand discussion with hospital staff (your primary employer) about a Confederate Civil War vet? Nope. Images in hospitals are generally benign art to provide a neutral atmosphere for patients and their families. Hospital staff has no time to deal with some easily foreseeable bs that could be created by some oddball complaint that could arise out of this. Takes up way too much time and energy. I say just move on.
FWIIW, before people lose their minds and accuse me of being too sensitive, I agree with your sentiment that the photo is probably interesting and worthy of discussion. The Civil War, in particular, had, on one hand, people who fought for the south, yet later went onto do things on behalf of the Union. I find it fascinating to read, have visited battle sites, grave yards, read multiple books on RE Lee and others. I think the destruction of historical monuments is generally abhorrent. History is hard..and few people take the time to read deeply on the topic. So I am with you in the historical significance of the photo and the person depicted. But not everyone is going to take time to read a narrative as they wait for their xray or get the results of a test, find out about the status of a loved one, make healthcare decisions, etc. Not the place...it is not a museum...it is a hospital. If I were in that hospital, I would find it interesting and probably try to find a book on the subject. But others might not and hospital admin would find itself dealing with that bs controversy instead of health related matters. Does the photo add or detract from the mission of the hospital? If this were a museum or school, it would indeed be my line in the sand. In our world where people read a headline and believe it to be true, there is not a lot of room for intelligent discussion. My recommendation...move on. This is not a windmill I would tilt my lance at.
(It would be interesting to see the photo, btw.)
My recollection on this was that you are an employ... (
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He said - they picked the images; he supplied them, completed --- THEN --- they said they did not want one - that they had chosen!!!!! This is being overlooked by many commenting here.