The University of Gothenburg has been funded 1.3 million SEK by the Hasselblad Foundation to take over the extensive archive of photographer Lennart Nilsson. The archive is one of Sweden’s most significant photographic legacies and contains a life’s work that transformed how we understand the human body, science and the role of photography in society.

The initiative means that Lennart Nilsson’s archive will be preserved long-term at the Gothenburg University Library and will be made accessible for research and the public. At the same time, the archive will be connected to the internationally recognised research environment in photography developed through collaboration between HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg and the Hasselblad Foundation.

Reached a global audience
Lennart Nilsson is one of Sweden’s most influential photographers, not least through his unique and long-standing collaboration with medical research.

“Preserving his archive is not only about safeguarding an extraordinary life’s work. It is also about enabling a deeper understanding of a creative practice that spans several decades and helped bring scientific knowledge to a broad public,” says Niclas Östlind, Professor of Photography at HDK-Valand.

Lennart Nilsson’s most well-known work is the book A Child Is Born (1965), which depicts foetal development from conception to birth. The book has been translated into more than twenty languages and is one of the most widely distributed photography books in the world. The images have also sparked important discussions about research ethics, perspectives on gender and reproduction, and the role of photography in scientific knowledge production.

“His work, at the intersection of photography and medical research, has had a major impact on how images shape knowledge and societal understanding. Lennart Nilsson’s legacy is very close to our hearts, and we welcome that the archive will now be preserved and made accessible for research and the public,” says Kalle Sanner, Executive Director of the Hasselblad Foundation.

A vital part of our collective memory
The archive, previously managed by Lennart Nilsson’s stepdaughter Anne Fjellström, contains a large number of negatives, slides, as well as books, magazines and an extensive personal archive including correspondence, notes and documents. The material spans from the 1940s until Nilsson’s death in 2017, offering insight into both his working process and the period in which he was active.

The initiative also highlights the broader issue of how photographic heritage should be preserved.

“Photography plays a crucial role in our collective memory. Universities, more than many other societal actors, can contribute to advanced knowledge and deeper understanding in this area,” says Niclas Östlind.
In order to make the material searchable and accessible, it needs to be catalogued and adapted to the university library’s system – work that will now begin. The aim is for the archive to be accessible to researchers, students and the public by 2029.

Once the archive has been incorporated into the university’s collections, the Gothenburg University Library will be responsible for its long-term management.

“It is truly fantastic that, together with HDK-Valand and the Hasselblad Foundation, we have been able to bring this to fruition. In doing so, we are taking on a national responsibility for the photographic cultural heritage, closely connected to the education and research conducted at the university,” says Morgan Palmqvist, Library Director.