Work, document, source. Photography in art historical photo archives

Abstract

The paper touches upon some issues that have filled the critical debate raised around the art historical photo collections in the era of the “digital revolution” and of the progressive abandonment of analogical photo collections as study places.

These contents were repeatedly recalled during the study day about the Fototeca Supino.

What kind of work is photography? What kind of document is photography? What kind of source is photography, in relation to art-historical practice? The contribution tries to give simple answers to these questions by presenting concrete examples: single photographs, photographic campaigns, folders included in the Zeri Photo Library. Starting from the author's working experience in this archive, considerations are provided hopefully useful in the setting up of other cataloging projects, in particular those devoted to photographic collections of art historians and connoisseurs.