Welcome to O. Væring by Ingrid
O. Væring, a Norwegian photo agency based in Oslo provides one of the largest and oldest photo archives for reproductions of work of Norwegian and some international art. O. Væring has for over 150 years photographed artists artwork in private and public collections all over Norway and supplied publishers and clients with thousands of images for reproduction use through two centuries. Our material consists of older glass plates, black/white color negatives and colour transparencies. The collection contains more than 25.000 digitised photos and over 100.000 uniqe transparencies and our images is today in daily use by publishers both within Norway and abroad. O. Væring stopped photographing artwork a few years ago and the business today is based solely on renting out photographic material from the collection and provide various clients all over the world with the photographic material they need.
O. Væring is today a family owned business and the collection is managed by Ingrid Petersson Nørstenæs, daughter of photographer Per Petersson.
© foto: O. Væring
"We are so proud to be a part of this cultural treasure and will continue to protect the archive in the best possible way. Our goal is to inspire you - and give you the tools to create inspiring work for reproduction use in books, magazines, posters, calendars, postcards, newspapers and fine art print for your home or office. And we will continue to public new and exiting images from our archive for you to use"
History
Olaf Martin Peder Væring established the company in Kristiania (Oslo) in 1868. From the late 1860s to early 1880s, he moved the business to Sarpsborg, a small village outside Kristiania. Then again he moved back to Kristiania, where he had several different studios. He specialized in art photography, photographed Gokstadship for University Antiquities and ran an art publishing house.
Photographer Ragnvald Væring
© foto O. Væring
Edvard Munch 12 september 1905; I'm like all other painters very pleased with Mr. Værings work
As one of the first in the country developed the firm through their art enthusiasts photographers an expertise in photographing artwork. The same photographers realized that posterity could enjoy their work. This cultural awareness led therefore that they collected and took care of what they thought was of historical value.
By Olaf Væring death in 1906 inherited his daughter Ragnhild the firm, but her nephew Ragnvald Væring had already taken the lead and was her co-worker. When Ragnhild married Karl Teigen in 1907, she withdrew from the firm and Karl came into her place. Karl ran the company together with Ragnvald to 1936 when he went out as a result of poor cooperation and then started Teigens Photo Atelier. Ragnvald Væring laid the foundation for the firm's line of personal knowledge of - and contact - artists, collectors and publishers, who in their own way made photographer Væring a contributor to Norwegian art's distribution and promotion. Ragnvald Væring managed the company well and he became friends with many of the artist. They went in and out of his studio. He escpecially became a close friend with Edvard Munch and even published a book about him " Self-portraits". Edvard Munch sister Inger Munch also became a close friend with Ragnvald Væring.
Photographer Per Petersson
© foto O. Væring / Per Petersson
Jakob Weidemann 10 april 1973 ; Per Petersson is the only one who has the right sense of - and love for the work that belongs to him. He is absolutely splendid as a person
Per Petersson, born 1931 in Sankthanshaugen in Oslo started early to take an interest in photography. He bought his first camera at the age of 15 and started photographing his surroundings. He managed to get an intern jobb at the O. Væring studio and after having been an intern and then a staff member since 1947 photographer Per Petersson bought the firm O. Væring from Ragnvald Væring in 1959. Per Petersson continued to photographing Norwegian artists production from his studio in Karl Johans gate 2, and account for much of the archive photo material in color. Per Petersson photographed systematically all important art exhibitions in its time. He travelled often on his own initiative to build the archive and did an incredible cultural efforts through the years. And often without payment. Per Petersson became close friends with several of the artists he photographed for and was truly dedicated to his photographic work throughout his working life.
Photographer Per Henrik Petersson
foto © O. Væring
The children of Per Petersson, Ingrid, Lena and Henrik went into the firm in 1995. Per Henrik Petersson became managing director and continued to photograph artwork through the following years. In year 2000 Henrik Petersson decided to leave the company and Lena Petersson, with external help continued the managment of O. Væring.
In 2004 Ingrid Petersson Nørstenæs went into the firm as chairman and managing director and established and developed O. Væring images on the internet. Ingrid Petersson Nørstenæs has through the years digitised all color transparencies in the O. Væring archive and will continue to digitise images and develope O. Væring for the years to come.
© foto: O. Væring
Art matters!
