BIRMINGHAM.- Birmingham Central Library has acquired an important archive of photographic work by prominent artist John Blakemore, who was born in Coventry. The archive was acquired directly from the artist for £91,650, of which £42,695 came from the Art Fund. Additional support came from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries and The University of Derby. The archive will be permanently housed in the new Library of Birmingham when it opens in 2013. The collection includes exhibition prints and smaller reference prints, spanning Blakemore’s career from his first photographs made in Libya in 1956 through to large colour works exhibited in 2002. It represents not only the final photographs exhibited or published, but also allows for a comparative study of the artist’s development, especially through the inclusion of some pairs of prints made from the same negative at a distance of several years, and the rich selection of hand-made books beginni