Commons:Deletion requests/2025/11/26

November 26

Files found with Special:Search/"John Tewell"

Per my concern at Commons:Village pump/Copyright/Archive/2025/11#John Tewell images: it is generally understood that the late photo archivist John Tewell was not the photographer of many of the old Philippines images that he collected and disseminated on Flickr, with the Flickr images themselves being disseminated by many Pinoy netizens, blurring the information on the original publication details and authorships as a result.

While several may be dismissed as "{{PD-Philippines-1972}}" or {{PD-US}}", without extensive information on when the images were created, when (and in what country) the images were first published, and (if possible) who the photographers were. In an article on Tewell, which I presented on the Village Pump discussion (left unnoticed, apparently), it was stated that Tewell began collecting photos of the old Philippines in around 2007, with the first old photos obtained from a w:en:Quiapo photo studio. This implies that a substantial amount of the old images were unpublished, and only appeared to the public when Tewell first disseminated these old photos in 2007-08.

More, more, more information is required to determine which of these old photos are eligible for the following possible tags: {{PD-Philippines-1972}} (for those first published in the Philippines before November 1972, without copyright notice), {{PD-US-expired}} (for those first published in the US way back 95 years ago or more), {{PD-US-no notice}} (first published in the US less than 95 years ago until 1977, without copyright notice), {{PD-US-not renewed}} (first published in the US less than 95 years ago until 1964, had a copyright notice but the registration wasn't renewed when it expired), or {{PD-USGov-military}} (photographer or the publisher/copyright holder was part of the US military or armed forces).

For old images that remained unpublished until circa 2007, there is no hope for retention here on Wikimedia Commons. The Philippine copyright rules on unpublished are vague (especially for the former Act 3134 of 1924), but the United States rules have clear terms: "unpublished before 2003 (i.e., first published after 2002), if the author is known, copyrighted for 70 years pma, but if the author is unknown or the work is a corporate authorship, the earlier of 95 years after first publication or 120 years after creation."

Excluded from the nomination: are very old photos that date to 1905 and before, since 120 years before 2025 is 1905 (any photo taken in 1905 and before are safely in the public domain, without needing to determine the complicated publication and authorship details).

JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 10:06, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

Nominations and available photo details

File:Tokyo Bazar, Manila, Philippines (1941).jpg

  • Dated 1941. 1941 is less than either 95 or 120 years before public domain (US terms on unpublished works that were first publicly published after 2002), if this wasn't published until 2007-08.
  • Exact Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/15780890733/, no details on prior publication or authorship, suggesting this was unpublished and was only published for the first time by Tewell on Flickr in 2015 (the upload date on Flickr); however, if LIFE may refer to a reference to a Life Magazine article, then this was first published by the magazine itself and there's a possibility of it being copyrighted.

File:Nippon Bazar, Manila, Philippines (1941).jpg

  • Same case and year as "Tokyo Bazar, Manila, Philippines (1941).jpg"
  • A Google image search provides details: photographer Carl Mydans and copyright held by Time (the owner of Life Magazine at that time). Carl was likely the same person as w:en:Carl Mydans.

File:Manila China Town, 711 Ongpin Street, Manila, Philippines (1949).jpg

File:Puerta de Santa Lucia gate of Intramuros in front of Augustinian convento, Manila, Philippines – 1899.jpg

File:Post-Office-Jones-Brdg-1947.jpg

  • Flickr link is erroneous. Needs proof if this was taken by a US military officer or personnel to satisfy {{PD-USGov-military}}.
  • Dated 1947, but this online source dates it to 1946 (and credits the uploader/archivist instead of the original publisher/creator)

File:Legislature Building, Manila, Philippines, 1929.jpg

File:Jones Bridge over the Pasig River, Manila, Philippines, c1930s.jpg

File:Philippine salt works.jpg

File:Bureau of Posts, Manila, Philippines, 1929.jpg

  • Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/9534712275/
  • Year: 1929
  • Just like the 1929 photo of the Old Legislative Building, this is grouped under his album "University of Michigan. Special Collections" (implying that the originals are kept within the University of Michigan)

File:Acme Super Market, Malate, Manila.jpg

  • Exact Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/42070676844
  • Dated October 1949.
  • Tewell states on his description: Photograph taken by a "Life" magazine photographer. Photographer: Jack Birns. For personal non-commercial use only. This image is copyrighted by © Time Inc.
    •
  • Jack Birns is probably the same person as w:en:Jack Birns. He was under LIFE magazine's employment during the time he took the Acme Supermarket photo.

File:Calle Rosario, Manila, Philippines, 1915.png

  • Kept at Commons:Deletion requests/File:Calle Rosario, Manila, Philippines, 1915.png but apparently information was insufficient.
  • Dated 1915, but 1915 may not be the publication year for this case.
  • Claimed source: "National Museum of Natural History National Anthropological Archives @ John Tewell"
  • Might not be a postcard, because the watermark bears "Lloyd G. Kirby lantern slide collection relating to the Philippines." According to this online source, "Lantern slides and correspondence collected and created by Lloyd G. Kirby during his time in the Philippines and related to his lecture concerning the Philippine economy. Drawing from these photographs, Kirby delivered a lecture on the Philippine economy (circa 1937), a portion of which is available in this collection. The photographs document architecture and people including Bagobo, Ifugao, Igorot, Kalinga, Moro, and Negrito peoples. Additionally, there are a number of personal slides that depict children and friends in the Philippines or the United States. The papers include financial records, correspondence, and notes concerning the Philippine economy and the creation and duplication of the photographs."
  • Only question: if his lecture in 1937 constituted publication of the photo.

Information added by me JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 10:42, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

File:Post-Office-Jones-Brdg-1947.jpg
Mlgc1998 (talk) 05:18, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Poll/s and discussion/s

Re-mention the Pinoy wikimedians whom I mentioned at the unnoticed VPC discussion: @Longcake Higad, Aristorkle, Pandakekok9, Howdy.carabao, Ianlopez1115, and Kemerutbarurut: . _ JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 10:42, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

File:Calle Rosario, Manila, Philippines, 1915.png
  • It's likely one of Lloyd G. Kirby's "correspondences" (such as a postcard) that got colorized at the time of creation (as per John Tewell), hence a work of applied art published as a "correspondence"/postcard that Lloyd G. Kirby likely received where he notes it was dated circa 1915 (as per page 3 of Lloyd G. Kirby's slideshow). Also, pinging @Sky Harbor and Jameslwoodward: from the previous deletion request.
Mlgc1998 (talk) 18:00, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
File:Manila China Town, 711 Ongpin Street, Manila, Philippines (1949).jpg
  • The current version is also a colorized version, hence a work of applied art published from 1949.
Mlgc1998 (talk) 19:13, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
@Mlgc1998 Re: File:Manila China Town, 711 Ongpin Street, Manila, Philippines (1949).jpg, based on the file history, you originally uploaded the original black-and-white version. The colorized version is irrelevant here; what matters is the status of the image itself. The 1949 date refers to the original (black and white) version. This image may have been unpublished until around 2007-08, which would make it protected under US copyright. Note that Tewell began collecting photos of the old Philippines in 2007, and the Spot.ph article states, "A visit to an antique shop in Ermita with his partner Dorothy in 2008 started him on his collecting journey." This may imply that he began collecting old images from some private sources, with these images that were possibly unpublished being publicized for the first time courtesy of Tewell's public archives.
Note that the shorter Philippine term is not going to be considered for unpublished works (the Philippine copyright rules are vague on unpublished cases). The US has clearer rules, as stated at Commons:Copyright rules by territory/United States. The only case for this to be retained here is if the photo was published in the Philippines without copyright notice until just before November 1972 (so that it passes {{PD-Philippines-1972}}). From the nature and looks of the old photo, however, I suspect it was under private collection until first published to the public by Tewell himself. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 22:55, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
@JWilz12345 Could you clarify how you would establish which images from his collection were truly unpublished from whichever point of his life? He passed away this year and he just stated in his Flickr post a date which could very well be the publish date too from wherever he originally got it from long ago. Many of these could have been freely in public viewing and/or dissemination before the internet age before reaching Tewell's hands. And not everything before the internet age is necessarily on the internet today. Mlgc1998 (talk) 04:01, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
@Mlgc1998 as stated on Spot.PH article, his first collections came from a Quiapo antique shop. It already sends one red flag that it's likely that most (or at least several) of the old Philippines photos that he shared and published on Flickr were previously under private domains (private old photos, per se), and that the first publication only occurred in the year he first published those on Flickr. Old photos remaining under private hands are technically "unpublished". JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 04:08, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
@JWilz12345 The Spot.ph article also says tho that "Tewell sourced old Philippine images everywhere –from online libraries around the world, eBay, photo magazines like Life, antique shops", which antique shops in the Philippines don't only sell unpublished photos. There are things sold there like postcards or etc that are freely displayed on postcard display racks and traded with other antique shops or from other people or families they got the photos or postcards from, who themselves may have bought or gotten it from all manner of places. I see that the situation may seem suspicious, but this is a very blurry topic to dig into. Mlgc1998 (talk) 04:46, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
@JWilz12345 Oh yeah, I just remembered this other Flickr pic of John Tewell that is of the same building from a different angle, probably taken around the same day since some of the people and animals seem the same: Manila China Town, 715 Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila, Phi… | Flickr The description John Tewell leaves may be of interest. Mlgc1998 (talk) 05:10, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
@Mlgc1998 Thank you for the link. It appears both are part of "LIFE @ John Tewell" series, and therefore originating from photos of LIFE magazine. I'll withdraw the nominations, but the details must be corrected: those are (publication-wise) US photos, not Philippine photos (since LIFE was the first publisher, not someone who was based here. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 05:15, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
However, we cannot assume that the photographer was the same one as that of the image you mentioned here (without visible evidence), hence added "unknown LIFE photographer" instead. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 05:20, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

 Info I withdrew nominations for both File:Tokyo Bazar, Manila, Philippines (1941).jpg and File:Nippon Bazar, Manila, Philippines (1941).jpg. They were possibly published either in 1941 or in around 1950s, so still within the cutoff date for {{PD-US-not renewed}}. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 23:27, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

 Info I am also withrawing nomination for File:Acme Super Market, Malate, Manila.jpg. It can safely be assumed that it was first published by LIFE before 1978, and they may had failed to renew their copyright on the image. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 04:14, 27 November 2025 (UTC)