Who should own photos of slaves?

Does Harvard University own the rights to daguerreotypes of slaves that were taken long ago as part of the university’s work? Or do they belong to the people who claim they are descendants of the slaves? A story in The New York Times examines a lawsuit Harvard is facing to determine just that and quotes Furman English Professor Gregg Hecimovich, who says verifying the chain of ancestry may prove to be a difficult task.