Department XX - Old photography
Department XX - Old photography
This collection of over 80,000 Polish and foreign objects from the years 1850–1945 comprises two primary sections: photography and reproduction.
A substantial part of this collection are prints, but there are also some plates, daguerreotypes, as well as single prints on metal, leather and oilcloth.
Some of the objects feature hand-written annotations, which are a valuable historical source. An integral part of most of the photographs are decorative cards with makers’ marks printed on them.
Among the artists are well-known photographers: Karol Beyer, Michał Greim, Ignacy Krieger or Walery Rzewuski. This rich and highly diversified assemblage includes portraits of eminent figures, and art historical documentation of architecture, paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. There are pictures of the interiors and buildings of the National Museum in Krakow across decades, starting from the late 19th century.
A lot of reproductions are taken from magazines published in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but there are some elegant heliogravures among them too.
A separate section are postcards: most of the 6,000 objects collected are reproductions. Postcards produced as photographic prints with post stamps and correspondence are fairly scarce.
A significant part of the holdings are picture and postcard albums.
The Department of Old Photography was established in 2001. Previously, its collection was in the care of the Department of Inventories.
A substantial part of this collection are prints, but there are also some plates, daguerreotypes, as well as single prints on metal, leather and oilcloth.
Some of the objects feature hand-written annotations, which are a valuable historical source. An integral part of most of the photographs are decorative cards with makers’ marks printed on them.
Among the artists are well-known photographers: Karol Beyer, Michał Greim, Ignacy Krieger or Walery Rzewuski. This rich and highly diversified assemblage includes portraits of eminent figures, and art historical documentation of architecture, paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. There are pictures of the interiors and buildings of the National Museum in Krakow across decades, starting from the late 19th century.
A lot of reproductions are taken from magazines published in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but there are some elegant heliogravures among them too.
A separate section are postcards: most of the 6,000 objects collected are reproductions. Postcards produced as photographic prints with post stamps and correspondence are fairly scarce.
A significant part of the holdings are picture and postcard albums.
The Department of Old Photography was established in 2001. Previously, its collection was in the care of the Department of Inventories.