WATERCOLOUR WEBSITE TO CREATE NEW VISUAL
HISTORY OF THE WORLD
DOUBLE ROYAL PATRONAGE ANNOUNCED TODAY
An ambitious project to make available to the public more
than three centuries’ worth of documentary watercolours from around the world
has received royal backing from both Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales
and The Duchess of Cornwall.
The project, The Watercolour World, aims to create a unique
visual history of the world by giving online users access to digitised
documentary watercolours dating from before 1900. With tens of thousands of
pictures already in the process of being uploaded, the project website is set
to become a significant new source of global history when it is launched in
Spring next year.
Announcing the project today, Founder and Chairman Fred
Hohler said:
“A re-evaluation of the documentary record contained in
watercolours is bringing back into focus a fascinating but largely ignored
visual record of the cultures and countries of our world from the Age of
Enlightenment through to the modern era. By sourcing and digitising these
watercolours – many more of which will be discovered during the course of this
project – we are giving online users the ability to explore specific locations
throughout the world through over three hundred years’ worth of watercolour
painting.
“We are hugely
honoured Their Royal Highnesses have taken the highly unusual step of becoming
joint Royal Patrons, which reflects both their and our own commitment to
providing public access to the visual arts.”
The Watercolour World digital library will include images of
documentary watercolours covering topography, anthropology and botany as well
as historic events, people and places. Visitors to the website, to be launched
in Spring next year, will be able to explore the watercolours via an
interactive map and will have the opportunity to help identify unknown locations,
join in discussions and deepen all our understanding of this unique historical
record.
Founder Fred Hohler realised the importance of this orphan
collection of images early in his work setting up the Public Catalogue
Foundation and it builds on this previous project. The PCF catalogued over
230,000 oil paintings in publicly owned or supported collections throughout the
UK.
The Duchess of Cornwall was Patron of the PCF initiative as
well, and is now joined for Fred Hohler’s new project by her husband, The
Prince of Wales, himself a keen watercolourist and founder of the Royal Drawing
School.
The Watercolour World is backed by The Marandi Foundation, a
London-based charity chaired by British entrepreneurs and philanthropists Javad
and Narmina Marandi. Of the project, Javad Marandi said, “Watercolours are a
priceless record of the world before photography. Many of them would be of
great interest to historians, scientists and members of the general public, but
are hidden from view and at risk of disappearing. We are very proud to be
supporting The Watercolour World and its project to cast a critically important
light on the world's historical record.”
Notes for Editors
Anyone wishing to become involved in the project should
contact Alison Greenish, Chief Operating Officer for the project on a.greenish@watercolourworld.org
For further information about this project go to
www.watercolourworld.org
Media requests for more information or for interviews with
Fred Hohler should contact Patrick Harrison, Weber Shandwick on +44 (0)207 067
0639 and +44 (0) 7818 655207. Email pharrison@webershandwick.com
A selection of watercolours which form part of this project
are available to the media for publication, with the appropriate copyright. If you have not received images with this
release please contact Alex Evans, Weber Shandwick on +44 (0)20 7067 0708 and +44 (0)7970 373132. Email AEvans@webershandwick.com
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