With days left before the end of a temporary export bar, a consortium of English museums has raised the funds to buy unique photographs by Lewis Carroll of his original Alice and her family.

Charles Dodgson, remembered as one of the world's best loved children's authors, Lewis Carroll, was also an important early photographer.

The photographs of Alice and her sisters were sold by her direct descendants at Sotheby's last year, but an export bar was imposed by the government.

The National Portrait Gallery, and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford have now raised the purchase price, through public donations, £100,000 from the Art Fund charity, and £471,500 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

The photographs will be made public in a touring exhibition.