One of Iceland’s oldest photographs lost at auction
One of the oldest known photographs from Iceland—a rare 19th-century image of Reykjavík harbor—has been lost while in the care of the Stockholms Auktionsverk auction house, shortly after being sold to the highest bidder.
Historian Árni Freyr Magnússon discovered the photograph while browsing the auction catalog and, upon checking, realized that the National Museum of Iceland did not have a copy. Determined to preserve the image for the nation, he entered the auction with the intention of donating the photograph to the Icelandic Museum of Photography.
Magnússon successfully won the auction, but when finalizing transport arrangements, he received unexpected news: the photograph had gone missing.
Serious concerns about handling and responsibility
"I don’t know what on earth happened to them, and I don't think this is professional practice, especially from such an experienced and old auction house," Magnússon said. "Stockholms Auktionsverk is the world’s oldest operating auction house, founded in 1674. You would expect a reputable institution to safeguard the items it sells."
While careful not to accuse anyone of wrongdoing, Magnússon noted that the loss raises uncomfortable questions about whether the photograph was stolen or simply misplaced.
"There aren’t many photographs from Iceland from this period," he emphasized. "It’s very serious that this one was lost."
According to Magnússon, the auction house clearly had possession of the image—it had been cataloged, photographed, and listed online for sale. "At some point, they had the photograph in hand," he said. "This is not just any picture; it is a significant piece of cultural heritage."
Rare historical photograph
The missing photograph is a stereoscopic image taken by British Captain R.J. Henry between 1858 and 1862. Stereoscopic photographs create a sense of three-dimensionality by presenting two slightly different perspectives to each eye, mimicking human depth perception.
The image came from the collection of Ove Renqvist (1938–2023), a Swedish filmmaker, photographer, and collector renowned for his extensive archive of photographic history, including one of Sweden’s largest collections of stereoscopic images.
Renqvist’s expertise and the historical rarity of the photograph make its loss particularly significant for both Icelandic cultural history and the broader photographic record.
Magnússon has yet to receive further clarification from the auction house regarding the photograph’s fate.
