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Records of togetherness and intimacy

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The photography vault of the national conservation service
 as a promoter of culture

As part of the European Heritage Days 2025 event, which marks its 30th anniversary and also the second day of Kostajnica’s heritage celebration, and at the invitation of the Matica hrvatska branch in Hrvatska Kostajnica, we gladly and proudly opened the doors, if only slightly, to the national conservators’ analogue photographic treasury. Today it is preserved under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Media, within its central Cultural Heritage Photo Archive and the photo archives of its conservation departments throughout Croatia. This collection comprises more than half a million photographs created between 1864 and the end of the 20th century, when analogue photography was gradually replaced by digital.

The National Conservation Analogue Photographic Fund includes more than half a million photographs taken between 1864 and the late 20th century, when analogue photography was supplanted by its digital counterpart. These photographs were to a certain extent inherited from the museums of the time, such as the Archaeological Museum in Split (founded in 1820), the National Museum (founded in Zagreb in 1846), and the Central Commission for the Study and Preservation of Architectural Monuments (K. K. Central- Commission zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der Baudenkmale), which was founded in Vienna in 1850, and which came to our parts in 1854. The Conservation Analogue Photographic Fund was to a great extent created by modern conservation service – one that follows the principles of the Vienna School of Art History and that promotes equally all historical and stylistic aspects of monuments, but also fosters a creative approach. From the beginning, it was represented in our area by the National Commission for the Preservation of Artistic and Historical Monuments in the Kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia in Zagreb, founded in 1910, and later by its successors. From the second half of the 20th century, especially in the 1960s and 70s, the National Conservation Service – which until then had operated in Zagreb with jurisdiction over the continental area, and Split, where it was in charge of the coastal area and its hinterland (Istria was excluded from this area from 1920 to 1945 by the Treaty of Rapallo) – was significantly reorganised, operationalised and upgraded with numerous regional institutes and professional photographic support. The National Conservation Analogue Photographic Fund shows that conservation photography does not necessarily have to be just a working, operational document that we use only when restoring monuments, but it can also be a memento, a testimony to all that is ours and cherished, everything that we have created and had for generations, and that – at a certain moment, during peaceful or turbulent times – we have partially or completely lost (or will lose in the future).

Under the auspices of conservation and other related services in the last century, in the alchemy of dark rooms, countless dynamic photographs came to light with a fullness of content. These were often unique and unrepeatable representations of exceptional aesthetic impressions of cultural landscapes, buildings, artifacts, people, their lives and skills, their communities and intimacies. The coexistence of our culture. Our distinctiveness!


All these representations and photographs are our priceless cultural assets, our guideposts and strongholds for the future. We need to ensure that we guard this treasure!

Chapters
Cultural landscapes
A valid phrase describing the concept of a cultural landscape is “a space with identity.” In other words, the most concise definition of a cultural landscape is: a combined work of nature and humans. Although the term “cultural landscape” has been present in geographical terminology since the early 20th century, the key year for its international legal protection is 1992, when it was recognized as a distinct category of cultural heritage.
Banovina and Kostajnica
This heritage conservation photograph takes you into the historic noble seat of the Zrinski and Frankopan families, but also into the folk world of wooden, ornamented, ever-anchored boats.
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation have been an integral part of human life since time immemorial, so it is no surprise that they are captured in old black-and-white conservation photographs with a hint of sepia. Beyond documenting the traditional activities of this economic sector, they continue to play a role in modern economic life, possessing a notable potential for societal development.
Traditional agriculture
Farming has always been the backbone of rural areas. It forms the foundation of food security and economic sovereignty for every region and nation, and it is inseparably linked to the diligent, calloused hands of our people. Conservation heritage photography tells this story in its own distinctive way.
Vedutas and scenes
Vedutas are painterly or (photo)graphic works that depict a part of the landscape—rural or urban, a square, street, or similar—in a detailed and faithful manner, regularly employing perspective to convey a sense of spatial depth. Vedutas become even more striking and lively when they include context, such as scenes with people and/or animals, whether these figures serve as nearly equal participants in the spatial composition or merely as its embellishment. Conservation photography often captures such veduta views, frequently and enthusiastically.
Spaces of intimacy
Alongside monumental cultural heritage—shared treasures of the broader community, the nation, and even the world—conservation heritage photography also gladly records another form of heritage: the opposite extreme of communal life, namely human intimacy. This represents the inalienable and unique inner and emotional world of an individual person.
Portraits
Whether in literature, painting, or photography, the portrait—one of the most direct literary or visual expressions of human intimacy—can either offer only a superficial engagement with the subject, presenting merely the model’s appearance, or it can pursue a deeper, more thoughtful, and intimate approach, contributing to the subject’s individualization and characterization.
Musical organs
Organs, queens among musical instruments, companions of St. Cecilia and symphonic ensembles, which originated in antiquity as hydraulis (the distant ancestors of today’s sea organs in Zadar!) and were gilded during the Baroque period—especially thanks to Bach’s virtuosity—were the focus of systematic study and protection during the Musical Instrument Protection campaign carried out by the national conservation service from 1972 to 1975. During this three-year fieldwork, aimed at documenting, systematizing, evaluating, and appropriately safeguarding musical instruments across the Republic of Croatia, just under 800 organs—mostly of monumental significance—were recorded, and a total of 5,462 photographs were taken. This effort formed the basis for the creation of the Unique National Register of Historic Organs.
Intangible cultural heritage
Intangible cultural heritage refers to practices, performances, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups, and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage, transmitting them from generation to generation. Unlike tangible heritage (monuments, objects), intangible heritage is “living,” constantly evolving, and provides a sense of identity and continuity. The following photographs, taken in the early 1960s, illustrate that the recognition of the importance of intangible heritage among Croatian conservators preceded UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore (1989), the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (1998), and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) by two decades or more. These international frameworks ultimately led, in 2006, to the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, following ratification by a sufficient number of states.
Tourism and culture
Heritage photographs in general, including those presented in our virtual exhibition, although created long before the establishment of cultural tourism, should be valued not only for their contribution to our culture and tourism—since they promote our regions, monuments, and people—but also more broadly as a powerful national and social reference. They raise awareness of our identity and uniqueness in increasingly globalized and challenging times ahead.
Chiaro-scuro photographs
Must conservation photography be solely functional and documentary, or is it sometimes allowed the freedom to venture into interpretative realms? Reflect on this question in light of the following photographs…
Sign-off
The conservators and the eKultura team of the Ministry of Culture and Media thank you for your attention!
Impresum
Author of the exhibition: M.Sc. Sanja GrkovićMinistry of Culture and Media – Photo archive of cultural heritage The virtual exhibition was prepared by the Cultural Heritage Digitization OfficeMinistry of Culture and Media Photo preparation: DIGITAL FOTO ART, Dragutin Škreblin
Cultural landscapes
A valid phrase describing the concept of a cultural landscape is “a space with identity.” In other words, the most concise definition of a cultural landscape is: a combined work of nature and humans. Although the term “cultural landscape” has been present in geographical terminology since the early 20th century, the key year for its international legal protection is 1992, when it was recognized as a distinct category of cultural heritage.
Banovina and Kostajnica
This heritage conservation photograph takes you into the historic noble seat of the Zrinski and Frankopan families, but also into the folk world of wooden, ornamented, ever-anchored boats.
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation have been an integral part of human life since time immemorial, so it is no surprise that they are captured in old black-and-white conservation photographs with a hint of sepia. Beyond documenting the traditional activities of this economic sector, they continue to play a role in modern economic life, possessing a notable potential for societal development.
Traditional agriculture
Farming has always been the backbone of rural areas. It forms the foundation of food security and economic sovereignty for every region and nation, and it is inseparably linked to the diligent, calloused hands of our people. Conservation heritage photography tells this story in its own distinctive way.
Vedutas and scenes
Vedutas are painterly or (photo)graphic works that depict a part of the landscape—rural or urban, a square, street, or similar—in a detailed and faithful manner, regularly employing perspective to convey a sense of spatial depth. Vedutas become even more striking and lively when they include context, such as scenes with people and/or animals, whether these figures serve as nearly equal participants in the spatial composition or merely as its embellishment. Conservation photography often captures such veduta views, frequently and enthusiastically.
Spaces of intimacy
Alongside monumental cultural heritage—shared treasures of the broader community, the nation, and even the world—conservation heritage photography also gladly records another form of heritage: the opposite extreme of communal life, namely human intimacy. This represents the inalienable and unique inner and emotional world of an individual person.
Portraits
Whether in literature, painting, or photography, the portrait—one of the most direct literary or visual expressions of human intimacy—can either offer only a superficial engagement with the subject, presenting merely the model’s appearance, or it can pursue a deeper, more thoughtful, and intimate approach, contributing to the subject’s individualization and characterization.
Musical organs
Organs, queens among musical instruments, companions of St. Cecilia and symphonic ensembles, which originated in antiquity as hydraulis (the distant ancestors of today’s sea organs in Zadar!) and were gilded during the Baroque period—especially thanks to Bach’s virtuosity—were the focus of systematic study and protection during the Musical Instrument Protection campaign carried out by the national conservation service from 1972 to 1975. During this three-year fieldwork, aimed at documenting, systematizing, evaluating, and appropriately safeguarding musical instruments across the Republic of Croatia, just under 800 organs—mostly of monumental significance—were recorded, and a total of 5,462 photographs were taken. This effort formed the basis for the creation of the Unique National Register of Historic Organs.
Intangible cultural heritage
Intangible cultural heritage refers to practices, performances, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups, and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage, transmitting them from generation to generation. Unlike tangible heritage (monuments, objects), intangible heritage is “living,” constantly evolving, and provides a sense of identity and continuity. The following photographs, taken in the early 1960s, illustrate that the recognition of the importance of intangible heritage among Croatian conservators preceded UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore (1989), the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (1998), and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) by two decades or more. These international frameworks ultimately led, in 2006, to the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, following ratification by a sufficient number of states.
Tourism and culture
Heritage photographs in general, including those presented in our virtual exhibition, although created long before the establishment of cultural tourism, should be valued not only for their contribution to our culture and tourism—since they promote our regions, monuments, and people—but also more broadly as a powerful national and social reference. They raise awareness of our identity and uniqueness in increasingly globalized and challenging times ahead.
Chiaro-scuro photographs
Must conservation photography be solely functional and documentary, or is it sometimes allowed the freedom to venture into interpretative realms? Reflect on this question in light of the following photographs…
Sign-off
The conservators and the eKultura team of the Ministry of Culture and Media thank you for your attention!
Impresum
Author of the exhibition: M.Sc. Sanja GrkovićMinistry of Culture and Media – Photo archive of cultural heritage The virtual exhibition was prepared by the Cultural Heritage Digitization OfficeMinistry of Culture and Media Photo preparation: DIGITAL FOTO ART, Dragutin Škreblin
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