On the side-gallery of the National Museum on the central square in Tirana, a unique collection of postcards is now on exhibit, tracing a visual history of Albania from 1890 to 1990. The exhibition engulfs a postal century, rich in images and documentation concerning the printers, the photographers and printing places. It is titled “Albania from 1892 to nowadays through the Albanian postcards” and runs from the 2nd of April to the 11th. A kaleidoscope of views representing landscape, cities, buildings, monuments, historic events, scenes and characters, national dresses, local people’ s portraits, and compositions appear to the visitor through a collection assembling almost 3200 postcards . The exhibition is organized with a periodic frameset, and the visitor treads his way in narrow alleys through stands representing four periods, 1890-1912, 1912-1924, 1924-1944 and 1944-1990.
The first period (1890-1912) opens with an Austrian “Korrespondenz-Karte (Carte Postale)” with an on-card printed Austrian stamp, overprinted with Turkish value “20 para”, sent from the southern city of Vlor묠in Albania, and bearing a curious cancellation reading: “Valona – Oesterreichische Post”. The first imaged postcards that follow this one are from a Viennese printer: Impr. F. Scholer, Vienna, and show mostly views and characters from the city and surroundings of Shkod첬 in the north of Albania. A fort (Forteresse), two hotels (Hotel Tosli, Hotel Europa), a cathedral (Cathedrale), a tour (Tour Paget), two bridges (Pont de Messi, Ponte sul Fiume Boiana) give a picture of the city and its surroundings at the end of the XIXth century.
Another Viennese printer, A. Schwidernoch, Deutch-Wagram or Wien-Hacking, Austria, follows with views from the south of Albania: the city of Vlor묠”Shcypnija” (Albania), east and west side, ruins of a byzantine church at Pashaliman near Vlor련Ruines d’une Eglise Byzantine Pachaliman pr鳠de Valona), the scale at Vlor련Echelle de Valona – Embarcadiere), and recollections from the city of Berat (Souvenirs de Berat).
After the Austrian postcards, in a long row of different publishing places and of different publishers appear head-listed the “Official Turkish Prints”, the “French Prints”, the “Marubbi” prints, the “Italian Prints”, the “Greek Prints”, and the “Albanian Prints from Abroad”. Kristo Luarasi, publishing from Bulgaria, the association “Shqip쳩a e Re” from Romania and a number of postcards printed in Montenegro and Turkey close the 1890-1912 period.
In 1912-1924, besides Marubbi continuing his activity as a photographer and publisher, few other local Albanian photographers and publishers come out through the collection, mostly in the northern city of Shkod첮 Kol Mazza, Kol Idromeno and the “Commercial Company” (Shoqnija Tregtare) have their activity in Shkod첮 Evangel C. Mima operates in Durr쳮 Through this period the collection enriches with numerous colored images, displaying very early coloring techniques.
From 1924 to 1944 the capital city of modern Albania, Tirana, comes in greater focus than the other cities, with its central square photographed from various angles and at different stages of its urban development, with different mosques, bazaars and characters. The Italian prints are preponderant. From 1944 to 1990 the Albanian prints begin with black and white photographic images and end with a few colored pictures taken on the eve of the nineties.
The postcards through the exhibition bear diverse post stamps, cancellations and overprint values. They are sent from various places within Albania or even from abroad. They were written in different languages and were sent to characters of a foregone world in Madrid, Dundee, St-Ouen, Prague, Trieste, etc.
Dr. Panajotis Kolomihalis is a distinguished collector of postcards representing Albania. He has dedicated almost 40 years to his long-standing passion. His rich collection of Albanian postcards has been exhibited in 15 countries and has been distinguished with 15 honorary medals. Dr. Kolomihalis is a Greek citizen, but his origins are from Lunxh쳩a, Albania. His first visit to Albania was in the beginning of the nineties and he has visited the country many times thereafter. “If Albania is ever in need, you should be a helping hand to her” – quotes Dr. Kolomihalis the words spoken by his father. For his contribution in bringing aid to Albania during the last decade, he was decorated in 2006 by the ex-president Alfred Moisiu.
