Licensing the archives

The Maria Callas Foundation licenses material from its collection — the world's most significant private collection devoted to Maria Callas — to publishers, producers, museums, labels and the press. Licensing revenue directly funds the preservation and restoration of the collection.

They have worked with the Foundation's archives

• International feature-film productions — original footage from the collection licensed for the screen, with on-screen credit to the Foundation
• Callas – Paris, 1958 — the 1958 Palais Garnier recital, restored in 4K from the Foundation's reels, released in cinemas worldwide for the centenary with Pathé Live
• Éditions Assouline, La Martinière and Albin Michel — three books drawing on the collection's photographs, letters and memoirs
• La Seine Musicale (Paris) and the Grimaldi Forum (Monaco) — exhibitions built from the collection

What the Foundation can license

• Original photographs — 5,000 prints and negatives, public and private, many unpublished
• Films and footage — 30 hours of original and restored material, including personal Super 8 reels and cinema-grade 4K restorations
• Recordings — 200 hours of original tapes: recitals, rehearsals, working sessions, many unpublished
• Manuscripts and letters — reproduction for publishing, exhibition and documentary use
• Costumes and personal items — loans and photography for exhibitions

Who holds what

A clear chain of rights is what professionals need most; here is ours. The Foundation owns the physical originals of its collection and grants reproduction and exploitation rights on the material listed above. Maria Callas's commercial studio discography is a separate matter, managed by its own rights holders, and is not licensed by the Foundation. When third-party rights exist on a specific item (photographer's rights, for instance), the Foundation says so upfront and only licenses what it can clearly grant.

Every licensed use carries the credit: © Fonds de Dotation Maria Callas.

How to submit a request

Write to info@mariacallas.fr with:

• the intended use (book, film, documentary, exhibition, record, press…)
• the territory and duration sought
• the support and print run (or audience), and the planned release date
• if possible, the specific images, footage or documents you are looking for

The Foundation reviews every serious request and responds with availability, conditions and fees. For exhibitions and touring projects, see also the museum project and contact us directly.