The card-mounted collection represents the Historical Photo Library of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, established by the Institute of Art History to support its study and research activities.
The collection includes a large topographical section devoted to the Veneto region and Venice, as well as sections on other regions of Italy and foreign museums. Of particular interest is the material concerning drawings, the result of extensive acquisitions from all over the world, in conjunction with the famous exhibitions dedicated by the Foundation to the graphics of the Veneto masters.
The materials are the result of purchases from photographic studios, exchanges with superintendencies and museums, and the commissioning of original documentation projects. A substantial contribution to the formation of the collection was made thanks to the addition of substantial fonds of reproductions from the Fratelli Alinari collections in Florence. Finally, a number of the positives came from the fonds of various art historians, antique dealers and photographers, acquired by the Institute over the years.
The photographs, mounted on cards that may be freely consulted at the Photo Library, have been digitized as part of the Replica Project, conducted with ARCHiVe, and are now progressively being made accessible also through the Institute of Art History’s online catalogue.