Publication rights to photographs of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's newborn twins sold to People and Hello! magazines for the reported sum of $14 million. The deal, handled by Getty Images, thwarted the paparazzi and sent a record-breaking haul to the family's charitable foundation.

The history-making photographer? A mystery. Neither Getty nor the magazines are crediting the shooter.

The $14 million figure was reported over the weekend by the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source, before the magazines hit the streets Monday. That price sets a new record for the most expensive photo licensing deal ever, eclipsing the rumored $10 million for worldwide rights to Jolie and Pitt's baby Shiloh in 2006.

Getty Images, which distributed the images, released a brief statement Friday taking credit for the photos but omitting the name of the photographer. "It is a privilege to use the power of our imagery to make a difference in the lives of so many throughout the world through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation," said CEO Jonathan Klein in a statement. A spokesperson said the company would not comment further.

People credits the photographs only to "Exclusive by Getty Images," the old name of Getty's celebrity portraiture service. Getty abandoned that name last September when it rechristened the brand Contour by Getty Images.

Ten photos run across 19 pages in the current issue of People, a double issue with the higher-than-usual newsstand price of $4.49. The two cover images, including the adorable 2-year-old Shiloh with her baby sister, are duplicated inside. All of the images appear to have been shot in the same room.

The twins, Vivienne and Knox, were born July 12. In the photos, they are seen sleeping or yawning on a white bed, as their parents and siblings caress them and smile.

The Getty deal closely resembles what was then a groundbreaking arrangement that the Jolie-Pitt family engineered in 2006. In a bid to outmaneuver the aggressive paparazzi, the couple kept their family sequestered in Namibia and allowed Getty Images photographer Brent Stirton exclusive access to their newborn baby. Getty then worked on behalf of the family to license the photos to People, Hello!, and other magazines worldwide. Getty kept the shoot tightly confidential; Stirton's name did not emerge until months later.

This time, the family largely eluded the paparazzi by staying in a well-guarded château in Provence, France.

Getty licensed exclusive rights to Time Inc.'s People for the U.S., and to U.K.-based Hello! for the rest of the world.

Stirton could not be reached for this story; he did not return an e-mail or a message left on his cell phone.

Related story
Sept. 21, 2006: Getty: Brent Stirton Was Baby Shiloh Photographer