Checkered Flag - Dave Friedman

[Cobra Ned]

There was a serious issue with Dave's negatives many years ago. A well-known and highly respected Cobra enthusiast in the LA area made an offer to Dave to purchase every one of his Shelby-related negatives, and a deal was struck at what both considered a rational amount, well into the thousands of dollars. This was during the time when Shelby products were considered more curiosities than collectibles, and before their values exploded. Dave made sure to warn his buyer about allowing untrustworthy types to "borrow" any of the negatives, and suggested the possibility that he might not get them back if he were to lend them out. It wasn't roughly a year after he acquired them that the buyer was approached by Friedman himself, who explained that he had been approached by a publisher who proposed a book project that Dave said he would be glad to work on but he no longer had his negatives. So Dave made a strong pitch to the buyer, explaining that if he could briefly borrow his old negatives, he would be extremely grateful. Of course the buyer said yes and allowed Dave to use his negatives. But as time went on and Friedman showed no interest to bringing them back, a call was made asking when the buyer could expect to have the negatives returned. That's when Dave's true colors arose and he said, "Look, you dumb bastard, I warned you that if you ever lent out those negatives there was a good chance you might never get them back!" And he hung up. No, he never made any restitution to the individual who had bought and paid for the negatives. This explains my disdain for one Dave Friedman, photographer.

[Cobra Ned]

(Ned, don't you miss your Lake Pacid "cottage"? ~E)
[/quote]

Earl, I still use it every chance I get. Thankfully there is nothing to miss.

[Cobra Ned]

In the event the Cobra enthusiast mentioned in a prior post - who lost the negatives he bought after Dave "borrowed" them back - has any desire to comment or correct any details, I would welcome that.

[Coralsnake]

Wow, what a legacy to leave

[Vernon Estes]

This has been one of those things kept on the "down low" over the years. Now that he has passed, the truth can more freely come out.

Pete Brock and Steele Therkleson took quite a few photographs during their daily activities... somehow the credit for those shots got attributed to Dave 

Kind regards,
Vern

[TA Coupe]

In my opinion, if you couldn't talk about the man while he was alive, You shouldn't be beating him down Now that he is dead and unable to say anything. As the british say, that's just bad form.
It's just like the people that are now trying to besmirche The memory of Caesar Chavez, 33 years after he died. Not saying he was guilty or not guilty. But why not say something a long time ago?

       Roy

[Coralsnake]

It sounds like people knew this information before he passed, so I see no problem sharing them now.

Carroll Shelby had more than few stories as well

[Cobra Ned]

Roy, it's not a question of "beating him down now that he's dead." A good number of Cobra owners have known about this for many years. We never felt the need to expand the issue further as that would have been "bad form" and it became quite apparent that nothing was going to be done to rectify the situation.

[Vernon Estes]

In my opinion, if you couldn't talk about the man while he was alive, You shouldn't be beating him down Now that he is dead and unable to say anything. As the british say, that's just bad form.
It's just like the people that are now trying to besmirche The memory of Caesar Chavez, 33 years after he died. Not saying he was guilty or not guilty. But why not say something a long time ago?

       Roy

On the one hand, I agree in principle with what you are saying Roy.

On the other hand, I don't think holding someone to account for their actions is "beating them down". It is what it is. Dead or alive, Dave was a flawed human being just like all of us are. Frankly, I have always admired how charitable the person who bought his negatives has been over the years to have never publicly held Dave to account for it all.

Balls and strikes... nothing personal.

Kind regards,
Vern