Ansel Adam Prints: $200 Million
In 2000, painter Rick Norsigian purchased a set of glass plates that had been printed with images of Yosemite National Park. Norsigian loved the composition of the photos and was willing to fork over $45 to take home the works of art. He soon discovered that the glass plates were the work of famed photographer, Ansel Adams. Norsigian started by selling prints from the work for $7,500 until he found out that his discovery was worth a mind-boggling $200 million. The family of Ansel Adams denied the authenticity of the work but various experts were able to verify the artists’ hand-writing and dated the photos to the early 1940’s based on cloud formation captured in one of the photos.
