To Post Digital Images Or Not To Post?

Are you talking about his amazing five volume work?

Because several of the volumes are available on Google books.

I think you could chalk it up to the fair use clause of the copyright laws.

The US copyright page says this:

"Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered “fair,” such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

2. the nature of the copyrighted work;

3. amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work."

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

It their reprint is a copy not rephotographed, then they would be hard-pressed to copyright it fresh, except intros typesetting etc.

For one of my hobby projects I want to get hold of pre-1923 copies of Beatrix Potter children’s stories to photograph the pictures, later editions retouched them so can be copyright at later dates :(