Photography in Sardinia

Cagliari, 'Picciocheddus de Crobi' in the port pier. Photo by Max Leopold Wagner, from Sardegna DL

Today, the interest in photographic material related to Sardinia on the part of enthusiasts, scholars, schools and universities is now undeniable. The photographic image contains, in fact, a series of objective information of enormous value and of indispensable importance for the knowledge and study of our past and our culture.
However, its usability is difficult, as is its overview, due to the fact that the photographs are kept in countless archives, public and private, not only Sardinian or Italian but also European and American, not always accessible to the general public.
Another element to keep in mind when referring to the object “photograph” is its extreme fragility and perishability: all photographic procedures, ancient and modern, practiced in a more or less perfect way, cannot guarantee the duration of the image beyond a certain period, during which it is subject to chemical alterations that cause its gradual and inexorable disappearance. This process, among other things, can be accelerated by accidental factors, more frequent than you think, such as incorrect archiving methods, pollution, fires, floods or others.
Sorting, reproduction and archiving on digital media, implemented with the best technologies available today and according to the most accredited criteria, can guarantee the preservation of at least the iconographic data, as well as facilitate its consultation, study and educational and editorial use.
By evaluating the enormous amount of photographic material existing on Sardinia, sometimes the work of the most important names in photography, and analyzing the variety of issues addressed, we can realize its importance not only regionally but also nationally and internationally.

Update

28/8/2025 - 12:42