Archive of photograph chronicler Fran Vesel
Fran Vesel, was a collector of cultural and historical material, and an amateur photographer. His interest in photography took him to Vienna and Munich, where he upgraded his knowledge and became one of the best Slovenian photo amateurs. For many years, he was also a committee member of the National Gallery, and was very active in the Ljubljana Probuda art school. He was renowned for his irresistible passion for collecting: in his house in Ljubljana (Komenskega 8) he had a rich library, many valuable books and first editions of the Slovenian modernist authors as well as numerous reproductions, paintings and sculptures, book drafts and designs, and in particular, originals of the Slovenian artists. From 1900, he collected biographical material (clippings from newspapers, photos), material of art exhibitions and art associations (clips, catalogues, notes, photos), on architecture, monuments, sculptures (clippings and photos), manuscripts of the Slovenian writers and the like (Vesel’s legacy is kept at the National and University Library’s Manuscripts Collection). He personally knew many Slovenian modernists. Vesel took photos of Ivan Cankar (whom he knew through Oton Župančič) several times and his photos are the best taken of the writer. He collected thousands of photographic plates with snapshots of Slovenian important people. His collections were the largest private archive of the Slovenian cultural history.