Introduction > Reconstructing Ownership
The images in this collection are approximately sixty-six years old. While we wanted to increase access to the images, we also wanted to exert our best effort to locate any potential copyright holders.
Ultimately we could not find the owners of the rights to the film strip and believe that making these images available to the public would be beneficial to all.
Research
Project archivist Brigette C. Kamsler began an attempt to reconstruct ownership. First, she contacted the Church of South India directly on March 20, 2013. Two of the images on their history page are included in our film strip (accessible history page here: http://www.csisynod.com/history.php). The image quality on the website is poor and appears to be scanned from a book. The images are not sourced to their original location. There has been no response from the Church.
Brigette searched online to see if she could locate any information on the images through Google, WorldCat, and other similar venues. Nothing came to light in this way.
Then, Brigette thought it would be useful to see if other history books used these images and perhaps sourced where they were form. Brigette checked the following titles in the Burke Library Stacks and could find no source information:
The South India church union scheme
Proposed constitution for the Church of Christ in South India
Church of South India: the movement towards union, 1900-1947
Church of South India-Lutheran conversations; a historical sketch
Church of South India: life in union, 1947-1997
A brief report of the missionary work of the Church of S. India
Church union in South India: its progress and consummation
The reunion of the church; a defence of the South India scheme
Ecumenism in action; a historical survey of the Church of South India
She went through the Fair Use Checklist from the Columbia University Libraries Copyright Advisory Office. There is more to favor fair use than to oppose.
Archival Collections
The Burke Library has a large collection of FMCNA material that date to the same time period. Brigette checked the following boxes:
Series 2A, Box 8: India Committee and Related Material, 1922 – 1949
Series 2B, Box 51: India Committee, Reports and Correspondence, 1943 – 1949
Series 2B, Box 52: India, Pakistan and Ceylon Committee, 1949 – 1952
Series 2C, Box 58: Audio-Visual Aids Overseas Committee, 1948
Public Presentation Committee, 1948
Public Relations Committee, 1944 – 1947
Radio, Visual Education, and Mass Communication Committee, 1927 – 1950
Brigette checked the general time frame of when the Church of South India was created: 1940s-early 1950s.
NOTE: Some of these records can be confusing because “NCC” is used often. This can sometimes mean the National Council of Churches, which FMCNA joined around 1950, but it can also mean National Christian Council.
Series 2B, Box 51, Folder 7:
This is a copy of a letter from missionary Rev. Ralph Korteling to Sue Weddell, Secretary of FMCNA. Ralph mentions the variety of images being taken by professional photographers as well as others who would not be considered professional photographers. Ralph himself also ends the note by saying he would be taking more pictures. The letter is dated September 30, 1947; the official inauguration of the Church of South India was September 27, 1947. Ralph Korteling in a later document is referred to as a missionary and Secretary for South India, residing in Punganur in the Chittoor District. He was a member of the NCC Committee on Audio-Visual Aids.
The letter says, “We could think of no better way than to ask you to distribute these pictures to important bodies as you deemed best…These pictures are meant for the press and should some board wish to make slides or film strips from them we shall be very happy to have them do so… In fact, we should like to cooperate on such ventures and place our orders as well.”
It is apparent from this letter that while reimbursement for the costs of the images was requested, many people were taking images and they were supposed to be shared with as many people as possible. Images were being sent to Sue Weddell for further distribution. The note about boards being the ones to create film strips gave us pause: did FMCNA create the filmstrip we have? We would say yes because of this image: https://exhibitions.cul.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/church/miracle/item/7770. By putting these images online, we would also be following the original intent of the images: the share with as many people as possible.
Series 2B, Box 51, Folder 11:
This document is from an informal meeting of the Women’s Christian College, Madras, held November 16, 1948. Sue Weddell is mentioned in this and that she “particularly stressed the need for better publicity for the college. Good photographs showing students and staff in action were required to make effective film strips for showing in America. A film of the rats and the nutrition department would have good publicity value.”
While not about the Church of South India, this shows FMCNA/NCC actively creating film strips from still images to show to those in America. Sue Weddell appears involved with the records for both the Women’s Christian College and the Church of South India images.
Series 2C, Box 58, Folder 1:
This report is from the FMCNA Audio-Visual Aids Overseas Committee. This report dates from January 26-April 29, 1948. The section specific to India is eleven pages long. This report covers the first part of 1948, which would be after the specific images depicting the Church of South India Inauguration. It shows that sharing audio-visual materials was a desirable advantage.
Page 21 of this report, section V, states:
V.The Commission on the Education and Training of Personnel as to the Philosophy and Theory of and the Use of Audio-Visual Equipment and Materials.
(1) Education the Total Christian Community
The use of audio-visual equipment and materials for "mass media communication" is not a short-cut to success but rather involves the use of time, energy, money and hard-work. But the results are so rewarding that this expenditure is justified. It is therefore necessary that the Christian community be sympathetic to this creative program and recognize that in the use of these new tools, thoroughly integrated into the educational program, lies the path of advance.
Series 2C, Box 58, Folder 8:
Reports from 1949 and 1950. These reports give more information, explain the general feeling of FMCNA for these types of material, and also include more information on Ralph Korteling.
Conclusion
The Burke Library was unable to locate or make contact with the potential copyright holders. The ability to make the photographs available to a wide audience was in line with the FMCNA desire for publicity. Ultimately we believe that making these materials available can only help those who are interested in the unification of the Church of South India.