Can a Bank Check be Copyrighted?

["Cindy Marston" <Cindy.Marston@xxxxxxxx>]

In 1981, our school museum received from an estate a donation of a
painting, "Off to a Hunt" by Oscar E. Berninghaus.  Along with the
painting, we received documentation of the provenance of the painting
that includes a 1929 check written to the artist and a return letter by
the artist.  This check and letter document provenance of a valuable
piece of artwork by a well-known artist, and it is the only
documentation for the provenance.  The artist's signature is on the back
of the check.  The letter is in the artist's own hand.



A student asked to copy the check and letter for a research paper she
was writing.  We are assuming that the letter is protected by copyright
because it is an original work.  But is a check protected by copyright?
If so, who is the copyright holder and how does one get permission to
copy it?



While we could allow the student to copy the material for their own
research under the Fair Use provision, it is still Fair Use to allow
that student to include the copy in a paper?

Thank you for any information you can provide.


Cindy Marston
Academic Technology Coordinator
The Principia
13201 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63131
314-514-3137