About | APAG - American Photography Archives Group | Resource Group for American Photographers Archive Managers |

The Focus Awards recognize individuals making critical contributions to the promotion, curation and presentation of photography. The awards this year celebrate three people and one organization instrumental in building greater awareness of the photographic arts in the general public.

: Judith Thompson presenting award to Mary Engel

: Spotlight Award

Mary Engel, Founder and President of APAG received the Focus Spotlight Award this year.

The Spotlight award is given to an organization “that consistently shines a light on
photography and has created a far reaching impact in the field.”

Judith Thompson, APAG member and Director of the Harold Feinstein Photography Trust presented Mary Engel with her award. Please read her post below and the speech she made about Mary Engel and APAG during the award presentation.

https://www.haroldfeinstein.com/appreciations-order-mary-engel-apag-griffin-museum/

When an artist dies the fate of their legacy falls to others. In my experience this is where the expression “it is both a blessing and a burden” comes from! I shudder to think of the number of truly great artists whose work remains hidden or even lost forever because there was no one available or willing to organize, archive, preserve and promote it. After all, the chances of having boxes of negatives discovered at a small Chicago auction house resulting in posthumous stardom are very, very small indeed.

In the good fortune that an artist’s family members, spouse, devoted friend or curator takes on the task of preserving a legacy, they soon discover that it is a demanding job requiring a great deal of emotional and psychological fortitude, financial investment and organizational hutzpah! On top of that, it is often emotionally fraught work – particularly for family members. I speak for myself when I say that devotion to my husband’s legacy gives me the great gift of continued closeness to him on a daily basis but also continued feelings of loss generated by that same closeness. That said, there is nothing I would rather be doing. It is most certainly a labor of love. I can truly NOT imagine how hugely difficult it would be to persevere in this work without the guidance and support of Mary Engel and APAG – The American Photo Archives Group. Through her own determination to honor the gifts her parents left behind, Mary has created the map and compass for the rest of us and this is, in fact, one of her own great legacies to the photography world, in addition to keeping alive her parent’s work.

I first heard about Mary Engel and APAG in 2013 from Barbara Bullock-Wilson, the daughter of the master photographer Wynn Bullock. She and her late husband, Gene, were at our home in Merrimac, Massachusetts, and I was reviewing with her the many complexities of organizing Harold’s estate and legacy for the future. “You need to know about APAG”, she said, and proceeded to tell me about Mary and her journey developing APAG.

My first APAG meeting in New York was about three months later, after having contacted Mary and receiving a warm invitation and the answer to a slew of questions. In retrospect, I am in even more awe of Mary’s dedication and patience when I recall the early conversations I had with her and imagine multiplying them by the large number of people who come to her seeking advice and encouragement.

Since then I have attended as many meetings and annual conferences as I can manage and participated last year at the APAG table during AIPAD. Over the years, I have made connections to a variety of people who have enriched my world – from old students of Harold’s who met him 60 years ago and happen to be APAG members, to key figures in the photo licensing world to museum curators involved in preserving photographic legacies, to appraisers helping to clarify the various appraisal options to legal experts in copyright law to book publishers and more. The APAG website offers a place for all members to continue to access resources, share their news on books, exhibitions and other events. And APAG’s periodic field trips allow members valuable face time with key curators, gallerists, and others. Kudos must also go to the generous wisdom and support we receive from APAG board members Julie Grahame and Grayson Dantzic who contribute their own blend of particular skills from archiving to web designing to curating – let alone moral support!

When I asked Mary recently what she saw as APAG’s biggest accomplishment she said: “Helping to ease people’s worries. I get a lot of pleasure out of really helping.”

This she has done this for me and so many others. When Harold died in June, 2015, Mary was one of the first people to call me from the photography world to find out how I was and how she might be helpful. I responded that I was working on the language for an obituary and she immediately said she would call her own connections at the New York Times. Several months later when I went to the annual APAG conference in New York – a meeting I highly recommend to others for the wealth of resources assembled at these gatherings — I was greeted by the whole APAG team with the kind of sensitivity and care that one really needs after such a huge loss. Plus, there was a panel discussion about the emotional aspects of inheritance, which was a pretty salient topic for me in that moment and not one which I would expect to find in many places.

In sum, Mary has been able to help so many people because she knows what it’s like to be given the responsibility for a legacy, and she cares about easing the burdens of it so that people can appreciate the blessings of it. She has built an organization based on her experience and has invited others to contribute with their own discoveries, making APAG an evolving community of insight, knowledge and resources. And it must be said, she has done this without the full financial support she needs and deserves. Hopefully this is changing. I commend the Griffin Museum for giving this 2017 Spotlight Award to Mary Engel and APAG. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient to whom I am personally deeply grateful.

Photos below from Mary Engel and Grayson Dantzic’s trip to Flashpoint Boston. They attended Beuford Smith’s lecture at Lesley University, participated in portfolio reviews at Boston University and Mary Engel received the Spotlight Award at the awards brunch at the Griffin Museum on October 22, 2017.

: Beuford Smith, Elizabeth Avedon, Paul Messier, Mary Engel,

: Mary Engel, Judith Thompson

: Lou Jones

: Mary Engel

: Paula Togarnelli, Executive Director of the Griffin Museum, Grayson Dantzic

: Elizabeth Avedon

: Group of award winners and presenters

: Mary Engel, Grayson Dantzic

Mary Engel provides an invaluable resource to photographers and their heirs though her organization APAG. She provides important information through meetings and seminars where issues are addressed with intelligence, practicality and expertise.

– Philip Trager

You are really running a great, collegial organization (APAG), The mutual sharing of insights and experiences is invaluable.

– Jon Gartenberg

What is APAG?

The American Photography Archives Group is 501(c)(3) non-profit that is a resource organization for individuals who own or manage a privately held photography archive. Collectively, the group has dealt with everything from archival supplies and copyright infringement to working with photo dealers. Our meetings provide a supportive and lively forum for exchanging experience and knowledge with others who have faced or are facing similar issues. From time to time, guest speakers also share their expertise in intellectual property law, estate planning, appraisals, and other topics vital to managing an archive. See video excerpts from our first panel discussion, and read the article “What To Do With All The Photographs” by Mary Engel.

APAG Board of Directors

Mary Engel
President & Founder
orkinphoto@aol.com

Grayson Dantzic
Executive Vice President
grayson@graysondantzic.com

Julie Grahame
Vice President and Secretary
Julie@juliegrahame.com

Ernest Londa
Attorney

APAG Meeting NYC Oct. 27, 2010 – Photo copyright Ron Sherman

Who are our members?

Most of our members have inherited a photography collection from a parent, spouse, or other family member. A few represent foundations that were created to administer a photography archive. There are also many living photographers who are organizing their archives, and preparing to turn over administration of their archive to a family member or institution at a later time. We also have adjunct members from related fields such as archivists and librarians. Visit our membership page to see whose work is represented in APAG, and go to the Photographs page to see some of their photographs and read their biographies.

Advisory Board

Dr. Alla Efimova, Director
www.kunstworks.com

Howard Greenberg, Founder and Owner, Howard Greenberg Gallery www.howardgreenberg.com

Marc Jacobson, Attorney
www.marcjacobson.com

Mark Lubell, Executive Director, International Center of Photography www.icp.org

Katharine Martinez, Ph.D.
www.katharinemartinez.com

Andrew Smith, Owner
www.andrewsmithgallery.com

Companies/Institutions who participated at the 2015 APAG Seminar

A Curator www.acurator.com

Artist’s Rights Society New York www.arsny.com

Big Flannel www.bigflannel.com

Daylight Books www.daylightbooks.org

Duke University Library http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/documentaryarts/

Kenneth J. Falcon Law www.kjfalconlaw.com

Getty Images www.gettyimages.com

The Huntington www.huntington.com

KPF Digital www.kpfdigital.com

Robin Moore www.robinmooreLegacies.com

Phillips www.phillips.com

Shutterstock www.shutterstock.com

Jennifer Stoots www.photostoots.com

Yale University Library http://web.library.yale.edu/building/beinecke-library

: Ruth Orkin/Morris Engel Archive

: Esther Bubley Archive

: George Tice Archive

: Jerry Cooke Archive

: Jack Mitchell Archive

: Jack Mitchell Archive

How did APAG get started?

Our founder and president, Mary Engel, assumed responsibility for the archive of her mother, photographer and filmmaker Ruth Orkin, when Orkin passed away in 1985. It was a difficult task, with much to learn about intellectual property rights, conservation and preservation, promotion, and the world of photography galleries and dealers. Mary has gained a wealth of knowledge and know-how, and when her father, photojournalist and filmmaker Morris Engel, passed away in 2005, she inherited his archive as well.

Over the years, Mary reached out to others who were in a similar situation and became an informal consultant. As her network of fledgling archive managers grew, so did the demands on her time. She realized that everyone could benefit from each other’s experience, so she started organizing meetings. At first the group was small enough to meet over dinner in a restaurant. Soon, however, more people joined, and a larger, quieter meeting space was needed. Mary arranged for the group to meet at ICP, and the organization has became more structured, holding meetings three or four times a year. In 2011, APAG became a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, and began accepting dues for the first time.

Mary Engel talks about starting APAG.
APAG Panel Discussion
October 28, 2008