Joseph Cundall, 1874

On original oak stands.

55 in. (140 cm.) high; 2712 in. (6888.5 cm.) long, open

An exceedingly rare full-size replica of the famous Bayeux Tapestry photographed by Joseph Cundall (1818-1895). In 1871, Cundall was sent by the British government to France to manage the first ever photographic record of the Bayeux Tapestry. The prominent Victorian photographer had previously held the position as director of the South Kensington Museum, now the Victoria and Albert Museum, the home of the most notable 19th century copies of classical and canonical works of art and sculpture. The project took over two months to complete and was recorded on 185 full size glass plates, from which six copies were made. Painstakingly hand-coloured by students of the School of Art, London, this present replica is one of only two that is not in a public collection or completely lost. Measuring at just over 226 feet in length, it remains one of the largest photographic panorama’s ever made, echoing the enormity of the original woven 11th century masterpiece and captures in exquisite detail the intricacies of the narrative scenes chronicling the Norman conquest in 1066.

The Michael Bennett-Levy Early Technology sale; Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 30 September 2009, lot 164.