The United Kingdom is hoping to retain an album containing
photographs by Oscar Rejlander, and as such it has instituted a
temporary export ban on the relic. The ban will prevent the album from
being sold to a foreigner and leaving the country (for now), and will
possibly provide enough time to study the collection and its origins.
The decision to temporarily ban the export was made by Culture Minister
Ed Vaizey.
Oscar Rejlander was born in the early 1800s in Sweden, and he later
moved to England in the mid-1800s. He is regarded as a pioneer in
combination printing (combining multiple negatives to create one image),
and was both influential and popular among industry professionals
during his time. The album in question contains seventy photographs by
Rejlander, and says Vaizey, it would be 'a tremendous addition to the
nation's photographic archive.'
Most of the prints are previously unknown works, and the British
government is hoping to retain the album for researchers to study. The
Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of
Cultural Interest, more commonly called RCEWA, recommended that the
temporary export ban be instituted due to the album’s 'outstanding
significance for the study of the history of photography and for our
wider understanding of nineteenth century art.'
The current export deferment is in place until April 23, and could
end up being extended again until July 23. The price is presently set at
£82,600. If you're short that amount of spare cash, take a look at a digital version of the album instead.
0 comments:
Post a Comment