Rick Norsigian proved that there is such a thing called luck. Norsigan, an antique collector and painter went on a garage sale 10 years ago. He paid US$45 dollars for some unknown glass negatives of Yosemite National Park. Well, that unknown glass negatives are 65 images that are works of perhaps the greatest landscape photographer Ansel Adams!

So that 45 bucks that Norsigian invested years ago could make him a multi-millionaire today!

The 65 negatives of Yosmite are said to be the missing link the career of one of the most beloved American photographers of all time.

Adams was reported to have lost 5,000 negatives when his darkroom caught fire in 1937. What Norsigian purchased were negatives dating from 1920 and 1930 so what the collector has is unique and array as there have been little film to survive from that era.

The price of the photo is valued at a whopping US$200 million!

Norsigian has not made a statement whether he will auction the negatives or not but he is selling limited edition prints of each picture. That already made him a tidy profit of $1,500 for each digital print while silver gelatin dark room prints sell for $7,500.

As luck is always doubted in life there is a debate over the photos authenticity, specifically a concern raised by Matthew Adams – Ansel’s grandson. However the consensus remains that the photos are the real deal.

Adams, who took a look at the plates last year, wants carbon dating testing before declaring that the plates are the work of his grandfather.