Visiting the Bayeux Tapestry? Put Your Camera Away
The British Museum has reversed its policy on allowing photography of the near-thousand-year-old work.
A picture's worth a thousand words, but is taking a picture worth compromising the preservation of the near-thousand-year-old Bayeux Tapestry?
The British Museum has reversed its photography policy for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibit less than a week after it opened to ticket holders, prohibiting visitors from taking pictures of the piece. The policy change was pointed out by blogger and former museum professional Maxwell Blowfield, who stated in a recent blog post that the museum had put up signage outside the exhibit about the total photography ban despite the permissions already outlined in e-tickets.
Hundreds of ticket holders were able to take informal photos of the tapestry during the opening day on September 10, as permission was indicated on the e-tickets, Hyperallergic confirmed. The institution originally noted on its website that non-flash photography of the Bayeux Tapestry was permitted, but the guidelines were soon updated after the opening to disallow all photography.
‘There has been enormous interest in viewing the Tapestry, and our priority is to ensure that all visitors have the best experience possible,” a spokesperson told Hyperallergic. “In order to do this, we have made the decision to restrict photography while people are moving along the length of the Tapestry.’
