The National Museum of Photography Marubi in Shkodër (Muzeu Kombëtar i Fotografisë Marubi) is one of the few Albanian museums dedicated exclusively to photography. The images depict important events in Albanian history from the mid-19th to the late 20th century, as well as the ordinary life of Albanians, their cultural customs, the charming landscape of the Albanian Alps, folk architecture or costumes. The oldest photograph taken in Albania in 1858 is also on display here.
The founder of the collection was Pietro Marubi, an Italian painter and photographer, who came and settled in Shkodër in 1856 and established a photographic studio there. Three generations of photographers oversaw and enhanced the studio’s operations over the years, up until the early 1950s when it was nationalized.
The museum opened in 2016 and has a modern feel. It houses a huge collection of over half a million photographs, of which only a few hundred are displayed. There is a 500 lek entrance fee, and it is open daily except Mondays from 9:00 to 17:00.
The Ministry of Culture values the collection so much that it intends to include it on the UNESCO list of monuments.
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