The House of Photography of Marrakesh (also known by its French name, ''Maison de la Photographie'') is located in the historic

medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

. It opened in April 2009, with a collection of photographs spanning from the 1870s to the 1950s.

History

The House of Photography opened in a renovated '' funduq'' (an inn for merchants and travellers). This cultural venue was established by Patrick Manac’h and Hamid Mergani as a place where old photographs taken in

could be shown to the public. The museum was opened in 2009.

The collection

Although it started with a collection of a few thousand, the House of Photography now has a collection of around 10,000 documents and photographs, covering the period 1870-1960. It highlights the origins of photography in Morocco, with works by the early photographers who worked there, including

George Washington Wilson George Washington Wilson (7 February 1823 – 9 March 1893) was a pioneering Scottish photographer. In 1849, he began a career as a portrait miniaturist, switching to portrait photography in 1852. He received a contract to photograph ...

, A. Cavilla and

Marcelin Flandrin Marcelin Flandrin (1889–1957) was a French military photographer. Marcelin Flandrin settled in Morocco in 1901, where he completed his military service as a volunteer in 1912. A photographer by profession, he served in the ''Service Photographi ...

. The collection includes rare views of Morocco, through pictures of the archaeological site of Volubilis (photographs by Henri de La Martinière), Moroccan landscapes (photographs by J. Belin), and important architectural complexes and casbahs. Portraits are given prominence, including those by H. Regnault (1870), Adolf de Meyer (

Camera Work ''Camera Work'' was a quarterly photographic journal published by Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. It presented high-quality photogravures by some of the most important photographers in the world, with the goal to establish photography as a ...

), and J. Robichez. The collection of the House of Photography represents various historical and cultural aspects of Morocco, such as

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

culture, which is portrayed in photographs and the first colour documentary film in Morocco by Daniel Chicault, from 1957 on the Berber tribes of the High Atlas. The collection also comprises a large series of (

photographic plates Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a capture medium in photography, and were still used in some communities up until the late 20th century. The light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was coated on a glass plate, typically thinn ...

) taken by anonymous photographers and travellers on their

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

Activities

The House of Photography holds exhibitions of photos from its collection on different themes, which change every six months. It is also a research centre offering teachers and students information on the history and heritage of Morocco, as well as an educational venue open to schools.

References

External links

Official site
(English version) {{Marrakesh Buildings and structures in Marrakesh Photography museums and galleries in Morocco Tourist attractions in Marrakesh Arab art scene Museums established in 2009 2009 establishments in Morocco