*** Italian photography








Italian Photography

Italian photography
Figure 1.-- We do not yet have much information on the Italian photography industry. We have found very few Italian 19th century images, until the late-19th century. This changed with the advent of the 20th century. We have archived quite a number of Italin photographic industry beginning at the turn-of-the 20th century. An Italian reader tells us that Fratelli Alinari (Alinari Bros) is the oldest Italian photographic company. It was founded in Florence by Leopoldo (1832-65), Giuseppe (1836-90) and Romualdo Alinari (1830-90) durng 1852. Leopoldo's son Vittorio (1859-1932) took over the firm (1892). He was especially interested in documentary photography. This is Vittorio takig glass-plate photograph in the 1910s.

We do not yet have much information omn the Italian photography industry. Italians did not play a mjor role in the seserch that led tp the invention of photographic processes. This was mostly done in Britain and France. We have not yet found any early Italian photogra[hs like Daguerreotypes and Anbros from the mid-19th centurry. We believe they exist, but are not very common. Italy is one of the more populace Europwan countries, but was not a very wealthy country. And of course weath is a factor in the development of the photographic indutry. We begin to find Itatalian studio portraits in the late-19th century. And by the 20th century as in other countries we begin to find substantial numbers of photographic images, both studio portraits and family snapshots. An Italian reader tells us that Fratelli Alinari (Alinari Bros) is the oldest Italian photographic company. It was founded in Florence by Leopoldo (1832-65), Giuseppe (1836-90) and Romualdo Alinari (1830-90) durng 1852. Leopoldo's son Vittorio (1859-1932) took over the firm (1892). He was especially interested in documentary photography. Now the photographic archives of the Fratelli Alinari has more then 4 million images. Here we have a photograph Vittorio about 1910.

Research

We do not yet have much information omn the Italian photography industry. Italians did not play a major role in the research that led to the invention of photographic processes. This was mostly done in Britain and France. As in other countries the developed photographic processes soon spread to Italy.

Processes

We have not yet found any early Italian photogra[hs like Daguerreotypes and Anbros from the mid-19th centurry. We believe they exist, but are not very common. European Dags and Ambros are not as common as in America. And early Italian imafes seem less common than in Britain and France, he two most important countries in the ealy history of photography. Italy is one of the more populace Europwan countries, but was not a very wealthy country. And of course weath is a factor in the development of the photographic indutry. We begin to find Itatalian studio portraits in the late-19th century. As in other countries, photography in the late-19th century was dominated by the albumen process. Most of the 19th century images we have found so far are cabinet cards. We are not sure how common CDVs were. Our Italian 19th century archive is too limited to make any valid assesstments. By the 20th century, however, as in other countries we begin to find substantial numbers of photographic images, both studio portraits and family snapshots. Color hotograph appeared in the late-19th century, but it took more time for commercial processes to be developed. This occurred in the inter-War era (Americam France, and Germany), but it was not until the post-World War II era that it was widely adopted.

Formats

Here there is some overlaps with processes. Dags, ambros, and tintypes were both processes and and formats. There were varrious albumen processes (CDVs, cabinet cards, and stereo-view cards). Silver nitate prints also had various formats (cabinet cards, studio portaits, and snapshots).

Photographers

An Italian reader tells us that Fratelli Alinari (Alinari Bros) is the oldest Italian photographic company. It was founded in Florence by Leopoldo (1832-65), Giuseppe (1836-90) and Romualdo Alinari (1830-90) durng 1852. Leopoldo's son Vittorio (1859-1932) took over the firm (1892). He was especially interested in documentary photography. Now the photographic archives of the Fratelli Alinari has more then 4 million images. Here we have a photograph of Vittorio about 1910 taking a glass-plate photograph (figure 1). Imprtant early photographers prioviding us images at working-class people are: Carlo Naya and Giuseppe Bruno.

Younger Children

HBC has primarily used photography for its fashion assessments. Wh have accessed other sources, but ohotography is our primary resource because it is so accessible, especially in Westerrn countries. And no where more than the United States. And one of the most important types of photography was portraits. In the 19th century, studio porttaits were virtually the only significant type of photography. Thdey provide a wonderfully detailed record of fashion trends. Our Italian archive is not as large as with many countries, especially during the 19th century. This is porimzarily becuse so much of Italy was poor, especially southern Italy. In assessing the Italian photographic record we find an interesting phenomenon. Italian parents, we are guessing the mother, liked to have their younger children photographed without any clothing. A good example is Lamberto Chisini (1927). Other 1920s examples are a Bari middle-class family and a Sicilian family . We see artists doing the same. A good example is Cesare Cabras (1930s). We are not sure what the socital values hehind this were, but they certainly were not the case in America, Throughout the 19th century, American mothers insisted that the legs of their children be covered with long stockings, even in the summer. We do note that as in India, this phenomenon was most prevalent in sdouthern Europe with warm climates. An KItalian reader writes, "In Italy it was quite common to take photographic portraits of babies with no clothing on. There were different types. The most common was the baby prone on the bed or on a carpet. This one was very common till into the 1960s. Earlier we also see some photos of babies with no clothes on with the mother, or the siblings, or even the whole family. There are this sort of portraits both in low incomes and middle class families. The difference is that usually in the middle class families the private parts are hidden and in the low income families are often purposely shown. The older children, as in the photo of Lamberto refernced above, are usually from middle class families. It looks like an aestetic choice. I think it is different for images of unclothed kids in the everyday life. The painting image by Cesare Cabras is a bit allegorical, but others are clearly a depiction of reality such as a as a fresco by Giandomenico Tiepolo. This is a matter of warm weather, poverty, culture, anf perhaps other factors. We see that in the photo taken among poor peasanto of Melissa, Calabria region, in the 1950s. In India it is different. It is mainly a matter of culture."







HBC






Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Italian pages:
[Return to the Main Italian page]
[Return to the Main national photographic page]
[Return to the Main ethnic page]
[Italian school uniforms] [Italian youth groups] [Italian choirs] [Italian movies] [Italian royalty]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[About Us]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Photogrraphy] [Theatricals] [Topics]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]






Created: 1:11 PM 6/26/2015
Last updated: 7:24 PM 5/1/2023