Viewing page 30 of 91

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

920 Esmeralda
San Francisco,Ca. 94110 
842-1576 home
648-8200 x552 or 553 work

2 April 1975

Elizabeth Pomada/Michael Larsen
1029 Jones Street
San Francisco,Ca. 94109.

Dear Elizabeth and Michael:

Following up my phone conversation with Elizabeth this morning, enclosed copy of my final letter to Gotham,and, UPI story sent me by Mary Miles Ryan of SF Museum.

My original intent after Focus show was to hibernate and finish my own North Beach book of photographs,which is long overdue. When NY approached me I followed thru. If I could have sent Focus show intact, all well and beautiful, but it became more complicated. Only about half the Focus prints were for sale- many ame [[came]] from private collections and were the only prints we were able to find-I uncovered new material- and New York was interested in these, because they would all be for sale- and certain Focus prints would be deleted ( copy prints and negatives would have to have been made-which would have been too costly); in effect, it would have meant a new show. 

I felt that since my creative,productive time is limited, I would utilize it finishing my own book. 

Anyway, I have most of the prints from Focus show and can hold up returning them to the photographers, until I hear from you about possibilities with Bantam and what it would entail on our end. 

It would be easier if when someone in authority from Bantam is out here they could take a look. I realize that editorial decisions are finally made in New York,but, I would face the same dilemma about sending originals,where no negatives exist, to NY, and copy negs and prints would involve some expense for us, around $300, I would estimate. So I don't know whether it is possible on their end to make some sort of judgement out here. I personally am not against sending it intact to NY for publication purposes, but would not want to get the [[strikethrough]] copperation [[/strikethrough]] cooperation and permission of all the photographers involved, and, spend the time and effort, if it were on a totally speculative nature. 

The Focus show was received well here, got good reviews, nice crowds, and a permanent document resulted from the catalog, so if nothing more results, I accomplished something. 

Anyway, I spent six months of my life assembling other people's work. Now it's time to complete my own. 

Prevail, 

Mark Green

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-07-31 11:29:23 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-07-31 16:24:13 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-07-31 16:16:13