Who owns Henry Darger?

In a 2014 post about a battle over the rights to Vivian Maier’s photographs, I wrote that I’d “always been puzzled that the discovery of Henry Darger’s work didn’t prompt similar legal action.” But no, not the discovery — the commercial success.

The New York Times today reports on a legal battle between Henry Darger’s landlords and some distant Darger relatives, who never knew him and now claim the rights to his work. Given the commercial value of that work, the relatives’ claim that “For us, it’s always been about family” may prompt skepticism.

In 2002 I wrote something about John Ashbery and Henry Darger. I’m still happy with it.

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February 23: From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Circuit Judge Kent Delgado told lawyers representing a Clarendon Hills woman claiming to be a distant relative of the reclusive artist — and who wants a portion of his assets — that her legal filing is full of “holes.”

Delgado gave Christen Sadowski’s attorneys until late May to refile their paperwork. Among his concerns, Delgado said, is that Sadowski has no “personal knowledge” that she is a Darger relative and is relying on the research of an “heir finder” service.

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A Darger exhibit and an Ashbery story : Darger and Maier