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Rex Nan Kivell

January 01, 1970

Sir Rex de Charembac Nan Kivell CMG (born Reginald Nankivell, 8 April 1898 – 7 June 1977) was a New Zealand-born British art collector and dealer. He was knighted on the recommendation of the government of Australia, a country he never visited, for the gift and sale to the National Library of Australia of his collection of books, paintings, prints, documents, manuscripts and artefacts relating to the history of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. He has been described as "an archetypal outsider – illegitimate, homosexual, self-educated and antipodean".[1]

Early life edit

Born as Reginald Nankivell in Christchurch, New Zealand, to an unmarried mother, he was raised in the home of his maternal grandparents. He was educated at New Brighton Public School and the Royal College of Science.

Becoming a collector and dealer edit

As an under age youth and listing his profession as bookbinder, Reginald Nankivell enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 31 May 1916.[2] He served in England (1916–1919) on the staff of No. 1 New Zealand Hospital General Hospital, Brockenhurst, Hampshire (part of his collection of photos was taken here) and at the New Zealand Command Depot, Codford, Wiltshire. On an extended period of leave in England, from October 1917 to May 1918, he began to pursue his growing antiquarian interests. Around 1918 he started to style himself Rex de Charembac Nan Kivell.[1]

He attributed an early interest in collecting to Sydney Smith, an antiquarian book dealer in Christchurch whom Nan Kivell met while still at school. Nan Kivell was also inspired to read history and geography, especially works on European voyagers in the Pacific.

 
Patients and medical staff at No.1 New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst

Nan Kivell worked on the La Tène archaeological excavations in Wiltshire, and presented the objects he unearthed to the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Museum in Devizes.

Nan Kivell's association with the Redfern Gallery began in 1925. It had been founded two years earlier by two wealthy Englishmen and by 1931, Nan Kivell was managing director. He ran the gallery in association with his Australian business partner, Harry Tatlock Miller.

Through the Redfern Gallery, Nan Kivell encouraged and helped to establish many British artists including Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Graham Sutherland. He also helped to introduce a number of important European artists to England such as Pierre Bonnard, Chaïm Soutine, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso and Édouard Vuillard. He gave encouragement to an emerging generation of Australian painters and designers including Sidney Nolan and Loudon Sainthill.[citation needed]

Although living mainly in London, he also maintained a mansion named El Farah (Paradise) in Morocco, where he maintained a long-running sexual relationship with his local chauffeur.[3]

Nan Kivell collected books, paintings, prints, documents, manuscripts and artefacts relating to the history of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

 
Hunter, John, 1737–1821. Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) between 1788 and 1790, 1 watercolour ; 22.6 x 18.3 cm. Part of Sketchbook Birds & flowers of New South Wales drawn on the spot in 1788, '89 & '90 1788–1790

Originally conceived as the basis of a pictorial history of Australia and New Zealand, Nan Kivell's collection began to extend beyond the purely pictorial. It came to encompass a whole range of documentary evidence created during the voyages of discovery, exploration and colonisation of the Antipodes in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the material produced as a result of those voyages. His collection also included Māori ceremonial war clubs, Māori language publications and manuscripts, emu eggs, scrimshaw, Aboriginal king plates, a compass and sundial and Thomas Baines’ magnificent painted lantern slides of the mid-1850s. By the late 1940s, Nan Kivell's collection had become substantial and was housed in various locations around England. In 1946, concerned about the safety and preservation of the collection, Nan Kivell began negotiations with representatives in London of the then Commonwealth National Library, the present day National Library of Australia (NLA). In 1949 the first consignment of pictures, books and other material reached Canberra on loan to the Library, which then sought, over a decade, to bring the collection into Australian ownership. In 1992, 32 works from the collection were placed on long-term loan to the National Gallery of Australia. This arrangement was ordered by the then Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating, after the National Gallery and National Library disputed ownership of the collection.[3]

Honours edit

On the recommendation of the Australian Government, Nan Kivell was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1966 for "services to the Australian National Library".[4][5] In 1976 he was made a Knight Bachelor, again by Australia.[6][7] It has been suggested one of his motivations in selling his collection of Australiana at a fraction of its true value was to gain the knighthood he had long coveted for the purposes of social advancement.[1]

Death edit

He died on 7 June 1977 in Paddington, London and was buried in the parish churchyard at West Lavington, Wiltshire. He attempted to obscure his illegitimacy even beyond the grave, by having a false date of birth inscribed on his tomb.[3]

References edit

  • Pauline Fanning, "The Australasian Collection of Mr Rex Nan Kivell in the National Library Australia, Canberra", Australian Library Journal, Vol. 11, No.3, July 1962.
  • Michelle Hetherington, "Paradise Possessed: the Rex Nan Kivell Collection (A National Library of Australia Exhibition)", National Library of Australia News, Vol. 8, Issue 11, 1 August 1998.
  • Susan Shortridge, Paradise Possessed: The Rex Nan Kivell Collection, Canberra: National Library of Australia, 1998.

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c Thompson, John R. "Nan Kivell, Sir Rex de Charembac (1898–1977)". Australian Dictionary of Biography: Sir Rex Nan Kivell. Adb.online.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  2. ^ Reginald Nankivell No 27034; WWI NZEF Military Personnel Record (online)
  3. ^ a b c Helen Musa, "A collector's paradise", The Canberra Times, 1 August 1998, Panorama, p. 12
  4. ^ "No. 44005". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1966. p. 6565.
  5. ^ "It's an Honour: CMG". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 11 June 1966. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  6. ^ "No. 46920". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1976. p. 8049.
  7. ^ "It's an Honour: Knight Bachelor". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 12 June 1976. Retrieved 5 December 2013.

Further reading edit

  • Forster, Honore (October 2001). "My portraits book : Sir Rex Nan Kivell's forgotten legacy". National Library of Australia News. XII (1): 17–20. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012.

External links edit

  • Sir Rex Nan Kivell at Australian Dictionary of Biography
  • Rex Nan Kivell entry, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online edition), November 2020
  • Military Personnel File online; digitised record at Archives New Zealand (NZEF No 27034).

January 01, 1970
kivell, charembac, kivell, born, reginald, nankivell, april, 1898, june, 1977, zealand, born, british, collector, dealer, knighted, recommendation, government, australia, country, never, visited, gift, sale, national, library, australia, collection, books, pai. Sir Rex de Charembac Nan Kivell CMG born Reginald Nankivell 8 April 1898 7 June 1977 was a New Zealand born British art collector and dealer He was knighted on the recommendation of the government of Australia a country he never visited for the gift and sale to the National Library of Australia of his collection of books paintings prints documents manuscripts and artefacts relating to the history of Australia New Zealand and the Pacific He has been described as an archetypal outsider illegitimate homosexual self educated and antipodean 1 Contents 1 Early life 2 Becoming a collector and dealer 3 Honours 4 Death 5 References 6 Notes 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life editBorn as Reginald Nankivell in Christchurch New Zealand to an unmarried mother he was raised in the home of his maternal grandparents He was educated at New Brighton Public School and the Royal College of Science Becoming a collector and dealer editAs an under age youth and listing his profession as bookbinder Reginald Nankivell enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 31 May 1916 2 He served in England 1916 1919 on the staff of No 1 New Zealand Hospital General Hospital Brockenhurst Hampshire part of his collection of photos was taken here and at the New Zealand Command Depot Codford Wiltshire On an extended period of leave in England from October 1917 to May 1918 he began to pursue his growing antiquarian interests Around 1918 he started to style himself Rex de Charembac Nan Kivell 1 He attributed an early interest in collecting to Sydney Smith an antiquarian book dealer in Christchurch whom Nan Kivell met while still at school Nan Kivell was also inspired to read history and geography especially works on European voyagers in the Pacific nbsp Patients and medical staff at No 1 New Zealand General Hospital Brockenhurst Nan Kivell worked on the La Tene archaeological excavations in Wiltshire and presented the objects he unearthed to the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Museum in Devizes Nan Kivell s association with the Redfern Gallery began in 1925 It had been founded two years earlier by two wealthy Englishmen and by 1931 Nan Kivell was managing director He ran the gallery in association with his Australian business partner Harry Tatlock Miller Through the Redfern Gallery Nan Kivell encouraged and helped to establish many British artists including Henry Moore Barbara Hepworth and Graham Sutherland He also helped to introduce a number of important European artists to England such as Pierre Bonnard Chaim Soutine Max Ernst Pablo Picasso and Edouard Vuillard He gave encouragement to an emerging generation of Australian painters and designers including Sidney Nolan and Loudon Sainthill citation needed Although living mainly in London he also maintained a mansion named El Farah Paradise in Morocco where he maintained a long running sexual relationship with his local chauffeur 3 Nan Kivell collected books paintings prints documents manuscripts and artefacts relating to the history of Australia New Zealand and the Pacific nbsp Hunter John 1737 1821 Hottentot fig Carpobrotus edulis between 1788 and 1790 1 watercolour 22 6 x 18 3 cm Part of Sketchbook Birds amp flowers of New South Wales drawn on the spot in 1788 89 amp 90 1788 1790 Originally conceived as the basis of a pictorial history of Australia and New Zealand Nan Kivell s collection began to extend beyond the purely pictorial It came to encompass a whole range of documentary evidence created during the voyages of discovery exploration and colonisation of the Antipodes in the seventeenth eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the material produced as a result of those voyages His collection also included Maori ceremonial war clubs Maori language publications and manuscripts emu eggs scrimshaw Aboriginal king plates a compass and sundial and Thomas Baines magnificent painted lantern slides of the mid 1850s By the late 1940s Nan Kivell s collection had become substantial and was housed in various locations around England In 1946 concerned about the safety and preservation of the collection Nan Kivell began negotiations with representatives in London of the then Commonwealth National Library the present day National Library of Australia NLA In 1949 the first consignment of pictures books and other material reached Canberra on loan to the Library which then sought over a decade to bring the collection into Australian ownership In 1992 32 works from the collection were placed on long term loan to the National Gallery of Australia This arrangement was ordered by the then Prime Minister of Australia Paul Keating after the National Gallery and National Library disputed ownership of the collection 3 Honours editOn the recommendation of the Australian Government Nan Kivell was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George CMG in 1966 for services to the Australian National Library 4 5 In 1976 he was made a Knight Bachelor again by Australia 6 7 It has been suggested one of his motivations in selling his collection of Australiana at a fraction of its true value was to gain the knighthood he had long coveted for the purposes of social advancement 1 Death editHe died on 7 June 1977 in Paddington London and was buried in the parish churchyard at West Lavington Wiltshire He attempted to obscure his illegitimacy even beyond the grave by having a false date of birth inscribed on his tomb 3 References editPauline Fanning The Australasian Collection of Mr Rex Nan Kivell in the National Library Australia Canberra Australian Library Journal Vol 11 No 3 July 1962 Michelle Hetherington Paradise Possessed the Rex Nan Kivell Collection A National Library of Australia Exhibition National Library of Australia News Vol 8 Issue 11 1 August 1998 Susan Shortridge Paradise Possessed The Rex Nan Kivell Collection Canberra National Library of Australia 1998 Notes edit a b c Thompson John R Nan Kivell Sir Rex de Charembac 1898 1977 Australian Dictionary of Biography Sir Rex Nan Kivell Adb online anu edu au Retrieved 5 December 2013 Reginald Nankivell No 27034 WWI NZEF Military Personnel Record online a b c Helen Musa A collector s paradise The Canberra Times 1 August 1998 Panorama p 12 No 44005 The London Gazette Supplement 11 June 1966 p 6565 It s an Honour CMG Itsanhonour gov au 11 June 1966 Retrieved 5 December 2013 No 46920 The London Gazette Supplement 4 June 1976 p 8049 It s an Honour Knight Bachelor Itsanhonour gov au 12 June 1976 Retrieved 5 December 2013 Further reading editForster Honore October 2001 My portraits book Sir Rex Nan Kivell s forgotten legacy National Library of Australia News XII 1 17 20 Archived from the original on 19 January 2012 External links editSir Rex Nan Kivell at Australian Dictionary of Biography Rex Nan Kivell entry Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition November 2020 Military Personnel File online digitised record at Archives New Zealand NZEF No 27034 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rex Nan Kivell amp oldid 1189732397, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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