La Mostra della fotografia a Roma dal 1840 al 1915: collezionisti, studiosi e conoscitori intorno al 1953

This essay analyzes the origins and consequences of the first major exhibition of historical photography organized in Rome in 1953. The show was the first in Italy to draw public attention not only to photography’s documentary value, but also to the history of photography in Rome between 1840 and 1915. Based on the contribution of notable intellectuals and directed by Silvio Negro and Carlo Pietrangeli, the exhibition laid the historiographical foundations for a history of photography in Rome and was a driving force for the creation of important collections, beginning with the “Archivio fotografico del Comune di Roma”