Erickson: Would you talk about your interest in the CMP, the California Museum of Photography?
Hays: I liked the concept and was supportive and tried to be helpful in raising money for a location downtown. I became good friends with Charles Demaris.
Erickson: Yes.
Hays: I was a good friend of Charles Demaris at the time he was taking it over. But I was interested in it in earlier days. Incidentally, Ivan Hinderaker was really the key guy there.
Erickson: Is that right?
Hays: There was a fellow from Sacramento …
Erickson: Oh, yes. Mead Kibbey.
Hays: Mead Kibbey was very instrumental. Between them, they landed the big collection.
Erickson: The Keystone Mast?
Hays: Yes. The Keystone Mast Collection. They were responsible for that. But I was sticking my toe in lots of things, meddling in lots of things and I did get into that. I became a partner of Mead Kibbey in some of the early purchases that were made. I can remember that we … (pause) the very famous photographer that lived up in northern California …
Erickson: You mean Ansel Adams?
Hays: Ansel Adams. We got some Ansel Adams stuff at a great bargain because he knew that we were going to be passing it along to the school.