Dynasty Marubi: a celebration of Albanian studio photography in Amsterdam
© Marubi National Museum of Photography, Shkodër
© Marubi National Museum of Photography, Shkodër
© Marubi National Museum of Photography, Shkodër
Kel Marubi met zijn vrouw in de studio / Kel Marsbul with his wife in the studio , no date © Kel Marubi / Marubi National Museum of Photography, Shkodër
9 August 2016
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Elise Morton
Amsterdam’s Foam photography museum will host Dynasty Marubi – A hundred years of Albanian studio photography from this September.
The exhibition will showcase a selection of photos from the extensive archive of the Albanian Marubi photography studio, which was active from 1856–1959. During this time, spanning three generations of photographers, a varied range of people were the subject of the studio’s portraits — from King Zog and the Ottoman emperor to shepherds, painters and criminals.
The Marubi studio’s huge collection features 150,000 glass negatives, which are notable particularly for the insight they offer into Albania’s turbulent history. Dynasty Marubi serves as an introduction to the history of Albanian photography.
Dynasty Marubi — A hundred years of Albanian studio photography will take place at Foam from 16 September – 27 November 2016.
The full archive may be visited at the recently renovated Marubi National Photomuseum in the Albanian city of Shkodër.