Facts about...

...The Nyhavn Room

Hans Christian Andersen lived in the apartment in Nyhavn 18 from October 23 1871, until he on June 12 moved to the Melchior Familys country house “Rolighed” as a guest confined to his sickbed. There he was affectionately nursed, until he on August 4 died of cancer of the liver. Until 1873 his hostess in Nyhavn was Thora Hallager (1821-84), Denmark’s first professional female photographer, who is shown here on the picture. From 1873 and on the hostess was Miss Clara Ballin (1824-87).

 
 
Did you know that...

...The poet very much disliked committing himself to wordly goods

“I am afraid of buying even bed and furniture. Think about how much I would  have to move when once in a while I should like to come out and breathe the 'world’s air'”, Hans Christian Andersen wrote in 1866 before he – contrary to his usual practice – rented a unfurnished room. 

 
 

Original Portrait Photos of Hans Christian Andersen

April 2 – December 30 2008

In 2007 we succeeded in acquiring a collection of 18 exceptionally well-preserved portrait photos of Hans Christian Andersen. The long and complicated acquisition process had a happy ending due to a huge effort by The Heritage Agency of Denmark (Kulturarvsstyrelsen) and The Danish Commission on the Export of Cultural Assets (Kulturværdiudvalget).  

The collection presents photographic portraits of Hans Christian Andersen from a total of seven different photographers, i.e. Theodor Collin, Georg E. Hansen, Jean Baptiste Barberon, Henrik Tilemann, Bayard & Bertall, Israel B. Melchior, and Thora Hallager – the photographs were taken by both amateurs and professionals and by both Danish and foreign photographers.

 The exhibited portrait photos have exceptional national importance to the field of Hans Christian Andersen research as well as the history of photography. Many of them are taken by visionary amateur photographers, who by virtue of their personal acquaintance with the poet could get him to pose in a relaxed manner, and Andersen himself was equally keen to experiment with the new media.  

 The collection is unique by virtue of its being exceptionally well-preserved. The photos are in many ways a welcome addition to The Hans Christian Andersen Museum: Four of them have not earlier been showcased in the museum’s collection, and the others are considered extremely rare.    

 Moreover, the collection has a very good pedigree; they stem from the Collin Family’s collection of portrait photos where they have been a part of the same collection which also held the 62 portraits that were donated to the museum just before its opening, and today they form the basis of the museum’s collection of Hans Christian Andersen portraits. When The Hans Christian Andersen Museum opened for the public on April 2 1908 the 62 portraits were exhibited in the front room. Thus the museum has, as a part of the celebration of its centenary, had the great pleasure of completing the Collin’s portrait collection, and exhibit the 18 recently acquired portraits.