The Revs Institute, a leading automotive research facility in Naples, Florida, announced the acquisition of a major archive by the Collier Collection. The Collier Collection has obtained the Ludvigsen Library, repository of the automotive library of a leading author, researcher, and historian of the motorcar, Karl Ludvigsen. The vast historical research collection housed at the Revs Institute now holds the automotive archives, photography and library of prize-winning author and authority Karl Ludvigsen.<\/p>\n
Ludvigsen\u2019s famed photographic collection, his files, research, library books and periodicals\u2014which include many valuable items in Italian, French and German\u2014plus long runs of rare periodicals, will all become part of the Revs Institute research resources. They are available to scholars, historians, media, authors, institutions, businesses and academia.<\/p>\n
Founded in 2009, The Revs Institute is a not for profit educational organization that advances the scholarly study of automotive history. \u201cAlthough already substantial, the Revs resources will be immeasurably enhanced by the purchase of the archive of Karl Ludvigsen, the diligence and excellence of whose work is widely recognized throughout the world,\u201d said Miles Collier, Principal of the Collier Collection.<\/p>\n
Karl Ludvigsen, born in America and a British resident since 1980, has dedicated a life to the motor industry and its many manifestations, resulting in numerous awards for his journalism and authorship. \u201cI\u2019m extremely pleased that my Ludvigsen Library is to become part of the Collier Collection Library that the Revs Institute manages,\u201d Mr. Ludvigsen said. \u201cI\u2019ve known its Librarian, Mark Patrick, for many years and have every confidence that he\u2019ll make the most of my files, books, periodicals and images.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Patrick, Automotive Librarian Specialist and Manager of the Revs Institute Library explains that, \u201cA great treasure of Karl\u2019s archive lies in its photographic material. Starting with Watkins Glen in 1951 Ludvigsen has photographed races, tests, factory visits and personalities. In addition he acquired remarkable pictorial archives from friends like Rodolfo Mailander, John Dugdale, Stanley Rosenthall, Edward Eves, Cyril Posthumus and Max LeGrand. Together they provide a panorama of cars, drivers and motor sports from the beginning of motoring.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Naples we already have an archive of more than one million items and nearly 20,000 book titles,\u201d Mr. Collier explained. \u201cTo this we are adding Karl\u2019s Ludvigsen Library. He has also provided his more than 100 drawers of research files. Together these will greatly enrich the materials available to qualified researchers utilizing The Revs Institute.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn\u2019t mean that I\u2019m retiring from writing about cars,\u201d Karl Ludvigsen was quick to add. \u201cI still have some book projects on the go. But I\u2019m aiming to give more time to my other interests in aerospace and military history, for which I\u2019ve retained an archive. Somehow I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen the last of Ferdinand Porsche.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nor will the Ludvigsen Library\u2019s valuable documentary material be locked away, said Revs Librarian Mark Patrick: \u201cWe look forward to working with the many publishers, periodicals, collectors, researchers and enthusiasts throughout the world who will be able to continue to rely on the Ludvigsen Library material for study, private information, car restoration and illustration. We will make it available through The Revs Institute\u2019s website, and when possible, by appointment in the Naples library.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re pleased that this acquisition brings us closer to Karl Ludvigsen, with whom we expect to be cooperating in the future on suitable projects,\u201d said Miles Collier. \u201cBased in Britain, he\u2019s well placed to carry forward research studies that we regularly conduct on our own automotive holdings and those of others.\u201d<\/p>\n