Corbis Gains Rights To Adams Photos

Not sated by its collections of Renoir, Cezanne and one of the largest photo archives in the world, Bill Gates’ digital-arts company has added another prized set of images to its growing electronic vault: the life’s work of arguably the best-known photographer in the world, Ansel Adams.

Bellevue, Wash.-based Corbis Corp. announced Tuesday that it has negotiated exclusive digital rights to the Adams collection, which is handled by a trust based in California, where the famed photographer and environmentalist lived before his death in 1984.

Corbis officials said they obtained rights for up to 20 years and paid little or no money up front, suggesting the deal was based on a plan to share future revenue.

Corbis, which Gates formed in 1989 to collect digital-art rights, plans to release a CD-ROM title detailing Adams’ life and featuring his works as early as next year.