For Richard Avedon's career-defining series In the American West, the photographer enlisted the services of master printer Ruedi Hofmann. The two agreed that Hofmann would be paid for his years-long service with a complete set of prints from the series, signed by the artists. 126 prints in total.

Hofmann completed his work in the mid-1980s, but never reminded Avedon to sign the prints, and the photographer never offered.

The Richard Avedon Foundation, formed in 2003, a year prior to Avedon's passing, has refused to authorize the prints and threatened legal action should Hofmann attempt to sell them.

How did this arrangement come to be and what are the arguements being presented? This video gives as much of the story as is publicly known at this time.

Sources
In the American West - Published 2005 by Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

NY Times - Avedon, Unsigned by Richard B. Woodward

Journal of the American Institute for Conservation - The Making Of in the American West by Sylvie Pénichon

Aphelis - Avedon's Instructions

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