Ban imposed on overseas sale of John Gould’s landmark ornithological studies

Export bar on Gould’s Original Drawings, valued at £1.2m, will run until September to allow domestic institutions time to raise money for purchase

The UK government has put a temporary ban on a collection of “exquisite” works by the celebrated 19th-century ornithologist John Gould from leaving the country, in an attempt to save them for the nation.

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