Pietro Marubi – Founder of The First Photography Studio in Albania

Professional article

Abstract

The article aims to highlight the art of photography in Albania, which began at the end of the 1850s and is associated with the name Pietro Marubi (1834- 1903), an Italian from Piacenza who, for political reasons, left Italy and sought refuge in Albania, where he finally settled in the city of Shkodra. The scope is on his extraordinary work, including the founding of the first photography studio in Albania around 1855, which was a bold step at that time. Among his earliest photographs are those of Hamzë Kazazi (1858) and Leonardo de Martino (1859). He became a popular figure in Shkodër, photographing important events with the latest technique, immortalizing historical events such as the connection of Prizren (1878-1881) and the uprising of Mirdita that were published in the international press as in the pages of the well-known magazines such as “La Guerra d’Oriente” and “The illustrated London news”. Pietro Marubi also took the first photograph in Montenegro. In the collection of Sultan Abdul Hamit II, there are photographs with a view of Shkodra or people in folk clothes, as photographed by Pietro Marubi. This proves the great fame that Marubi’s photography studio gained in the Ottoman Empire. Pietro Marubi, therefore, brought Shkodra on the level with the first European cities representing the art of photography. The results give an original picture of the role and importance of the photography studio. Marubi and his vision are shown in passing on the profession to his sons. With the act of inheritance of his studio to Kel Kodheli, Marubi would lay the foundations for the continuation of the activity. With Kel Kodheli, the “Marubi Dynasty” was consolidated, where the next generations of photographers were formed, who today make up the collection of the Photo Gallery of the “Marubi” National Museum of Photography. The opening of the national museum “Marubi” in Shkodër, in addition to its extraordinary cultural and historical values, is also at the service of cultural tourism, which is visited by many local and foreign tourists. The article is based on research of the literature and sources published by the Marubi National Museum of Photography and the Library of the Academy of Sciences, as well as international publications and meetings with historians and other researchers. The conclusions provide another important aspect of this work, especially for the generation of young artists educated today who look up to Marubi as a model of inspiration, but also for the general public.