„Photographs of the Polish-Slovak Podtatrze region and the Tatra Mountains – let’s save them from oblivion”

- the project is co-funded by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund and under the state budget through the “Tatry” Euroregion within the Cross-border Cooperation Programme between the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic 2007-2013.

• Project value: 49 975 €
• ERDF: 41 968.75 €
• National co-financing under the state budget: 4 937.50 €
• Own contribution: 2 468.75 €

The project aims at protecting and saving from oblivion old photographs that can be found in museums and private collections. The photographs that constitute an invaluable source of knowledge about the past.

The Podtatrze region and the Tatra mountains with their precious nature, great cultural heritage and unique traditions have been the subject of interest to many photographers since the photography, as an art, came into being. However, commonly, countless photo collections are hidden in drawers of museums or in private albums. They are often scattered around different places, underestimated and insufficiently protected. Recognizing this problem, the project implementers: Municipal Cultural Center in Nowy Targ, Czesław Pajerski Museum in the Podhale region and the Slovak partner - The Museum in Kežmarok are making an attempt to save this historical heritage.

We would like to create an unique collection of old photographs gathered from museums and private persons by solidifying them with the use of modern technologies. We are planning to develop digital photo archive that will not only help to protect the old photographs threatened by destruction in the course of time, but also will open them to the wide public.

Within the project, the following actions will be undertaken:

• photo digitalization,
• creation of the Internet album containing archival photographs which will be available on the website: www.album.nowytarg.pl,
• organization of the exhibition entitled “Photographs of the Polish-Slovak Podtatrze region and the Tatra Mountains. Let’s save them from oblivion” (pl. „Ocalić od zapomnienia fotografie polsko-słowackiego Podtatrza i Tatr”) where the most interesting photos of some famous photographers will be presented (e.g. Edward Morawetz from Nowy Targ, Emil Moravetz from Kežmarok et al.),

• conducting a contest for the most interesting photo concerning the history of Nowy Targ,
• developing and printing of “Lexicon of photographers from the Tatra region” (pl. „Leksykon fotografów tatrzańskich”) covering the period from the foundation of photography (in 1840s) to the World War II.

In order to promote the abovementioned project, the presentations of the Internet album and the lexicon of photographers from the Tatra region, as well as some exhibitions are planned. Also some folders, posters and leaflets will be printed . Moreover the lessons concerning the history of the Podtatrze region and the Tatra mountains will be organized (during such lessons, the collected and digitalized photos will be used). The end-product of this project is creating the multimedia package.

We hope that the information contained in the Lexikon of photographers from Tatra region as well as that in the  Internet album will constitute the basis for the further case studies and the collections of photographs will be solidified and kept for the future generations.

Project duration 1^st May 2001 – 31^st April 2012

Project coordinator: Joanna Voit, phone no. 18 266 77 76, e - mail: muzeum@nowytarg.pl

The contest entitled “Archival photography from Nowy Targ since 1945 – let’s save it from oblivion” (pl. “Ocalić od zapomnienia – archiwalna fotografia z Nowego Targu do 1945 r.”)

We invite all inhabitants of Nowy Targ (but not only) who possess archival photographs picturing Nowy Targ in the past – people, their everyday life, events and celebrations, as well as their family photos to take part in the contest!

For the winners, we have attractive rewards and the selected photos will be presented during the exhibition in the Town Hall of Nowy Targ.

Please deliver the photographs personally or by post to the Museum of the Podhale region, address: Rynek 1 Ratusz, 34-400 Nowy Targ no later than 2^nd December 2011. The photographs will be scanned and returned to its owners.

Regulations is available in the Museum and on the Internet websites: