TIRANA, Oct. 15 – More than 100,000 pictures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the landmark Marubi photo collection in the northern city of Shkodra, have been made available online in the newly launched Marubi virtual museum.
The two-year project supported by the UNDP consisted in the archiving, cataloguing and digitalization of Marubi photographic archives as well as the development of a comprehensive web interface promoting and presenting the archives to visitors seeking to discover Albania’s cultural and historic identity through immersion in a visual tour of photography.
The Museum makes it possible for local and foreign tourists to join tourist routes based solely on Marubi images. The project also foresees the creation of an “online store” for researchers and those passionate about photography. It will also promote author copyrights.
Besides the cultural and scientific importance, the project will contribute to an increase of local tourism economy. It will provide with a virtual portal to Shkodra’s and Albania’s historical and cultural sites which will attract more foreign and domestic visitors to visit them following Marubi’s indicated itineraries. Once the “online store” becomes operational, the Marubi National Photo-museum will be able to also generate income, which it can use to expand the existing and conduct new activities.
So far, the project achieved to digitalize in high resolution the oldest part of the archive – about 100,000 photographs whereas digital archiving and cataloguing continues.
With nearly half a million photographic plates and negatives collected over 159 years, Marubi National Photo-museum is today one of the most important institutions of the Ministry of Culture of Albania catering to Albania’s national heritage. In addition to very old photographs of Pietro Marubbi, this institution retains negatives and photographs of some of the most renowned Albanian photographers such as Kel, Mati, Gege Marubi, Kole Idromeno, Shan Pici, Kolà« Maca, Dede Jakova, Pjeter Rraboshta, Angjelin Nenshati, Lek Voci, Lazer Kodheli, Hilmi Mustafa and recently Mehmet & Osman Kallfa.
Albanian photography started with Pietro Marubi, an Italian immigrant fleeing political repression from his country. He opened Albania’s first photography studio in 1858. Three generations of Marubis will follow in his footsteps. For about a century, the Marubi family have amassed more than 500,000 negatives. The selection of pictures reveals the political, social, cultural and religious diversity of the country.
