Appeal to Elbans for the Archive of Memory project
What happened to the photos jealously preserved in family albums which bear witness to memorable moments in the life of each Elban and the entire community? Scattered in some drawer, forgotten in an old box, supplanted by digital technology which photographs everything, mixing emotions, people, places and times in a multiplicity of images sometimes devoid of content.
We slowly lose our memory, we forget the names and nicknames, the customs, the stories behind the faces of people destined to be forgotten with the disappearance of their contemporaries. The same goes for landscapes, profoundly changed by different economic conditions, by anthropisation, by the tourist economy that has replaced agriculture or fishing. And even if they were well preserved and passed from generation to generation, what sense does it make to separate them from those of others who have lived similar experiences, the same squares, the same schools, shared traditions, affections, moments of celebration or work? Each image is enriched with meaning and nuances if it tells, in addition to the individual, the community and the places where he lived. For this reason we invite all Elbans, those who live there or those who have left, those who have memories and Elba in their hearts, those who have images and acquaintances ancient, to collaborate in the search for unpublished images, up to the 80s of the twentieth century.
Elba Island Foundation – Ministry of Culture
The Isola d’Elba Foundation has seen a project selected by the Ministry of Culture, supported with funding from the European Union – Next Generation EU, called “Archive of Elban culture”, with the aim of digitizing images and photographs that preserve the memory and the identity of the island.
The photos will be scanned, improved in quality, digitized and returned to the owners, transcribing the origin and ownership of the documentary fund, as well as cataloged following national and international archival rules to be inserted into a portal that will allow free access to anyone interested in consulting the archive which will respond according to different search keys and can be used for studies, research, publications, exhibitions, documentaries and other moments of valorisation.
A great collective Elban heritage
A great collective heritage that requires everyone’s collaboration to obtain the greatest amount of information and cross-reference it with others, recomposing a precious puzzle, a mirror of a life and a memory that represents the material and immaterial heritage, a shared value of the community that helps to get to know each other better to build future projects that draw energy, teaching and ideas from the past
To present the project and collect the first information on the archives, the curators of the Project – of which the Fondazione Isola d’Elba is the leader with the participation of Italia Nostra Arcipelago Toscano, of Infoelba srl, of numerous cultural and third sector associations in Elba – a conference with projections was organised, thanks to the availability of the Municipality of Campo nell’Elba , in collaboration with the La Torre Cultural Association, the Le Macinelle Cultural Association, Italia Nostra Arcipelago Toscano, the Campo Library, on Friday 30 August, at 9.30 pm in the Council Room of the Municipality by Marina di Campo, in which the curator, Patrizia Lupi, will participate, together with some representatives of the Scientific Committee: Leonardo Preziosi, Franco De Simone, Giuseppe Battaglini, Angela Provenzali, Gian Mario Gentini, Giorgio Giusti, Gisella Catuogno, Renzo Paoli, Antonio Berti and Mario Ferrari. To find out more:
All citizens are invited to participate. For information Patrizia Lupi cell + 39 339 6974753 by writing tofondazioneisoladelba@gmail.com. The materials will be collected by telephone agreement at the headquarters of the Isola d’Elba Foundation in Viale Teseo Tesei 12 in Portoferraio
