Lo sguardo di un secolo. 1924 - 2024 the history of Florence by Archivio Foto Locchi
The widespread exhibition of the Archivio Foto Locchi, one of the most important photographic archives in Florence
At Palazzo Guadagni Strozzi Sacrati, headquarters of the Region of Tuscany, in Piazza del Duomo in Florence, the exhibition entitled Lo sguardo di un secolo. 1924 - 2024 the history of Florence by Archivio Foto Locchi.
The exhibition is free of charge and can be viewed Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. On Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. A guided tour is also possible on Saturday 25 January at 11.00 am. For reservations and other days and times, please contact info@fotolocchi.it or call 055 213743.
An exhibition commissioned by the President of the Region of Tuscany Eugenio Giani and realised by Foto Locchi for Firenze ETS, with photos from the Archivio Storico Foto Locchi - a cultural heritage protected by the Ministry of Culture that counts over five million images - and with the collaboration of Gruppo Editoriale.
Realised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bottega Foto Locchi and open to the public until 13 November, Lo sguardo di un secolo (The glance of a century) retraces the history of 20th-century Florence and, through some of the most iconic images among those taken by the photographers who have passed through the ‘Studio d'arte e tecnica fotografica Foto Locchi’, restores the history and chronicle of the city, but also every suggestion of its beauty, thanks to images that are true works of art.
What was in fact handed down in the workshop founded in today's Piazza della Repubblica in 1924 by Cav. Tullio Locchi, and later made famous by Silvano Corcos, both appreciated photoreporters and portraitists of the royal family, was not only a photographic technique and a craft, but also a style, a single gaze - in fact - over one hundred years: a sharp and objective gaze, perfect for documenting reality, and at the same time a profound and evocative gaze, emblematic of an artistic creativity that interprets this reality and places the figure of man at the centre of its action.
Foto Locchi/©Archivio Foto LocchiAn enormous sequence of images now collected in the Foto Locchi Historical Archive, most of which can be accessed by visiting the website fotolocchi.it.
Starting from the heart of Florence, the widespread exhibition touches the city's most important places of culture and interest - Teatro Verdi, Teatro della Pergola, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Puccini, Manifattura Tabacchi, Careggi Hospital, Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, Istituto degli Innocenti, Meyer Hospital, Casa di Dante Museum, Palazzo Strozzi and Palazzo Medici Riccardi - each of which hosts a precious snapshot portraying a moment in its history, whose memory the Archive preserves.
Foto Locchi/©Archivio Foto LocchiOn the occasion of the exhibition, a valuable volume containing more than 100 images from the Archivio Storico Foto Locchi has been produced. It was introduced by Eugenio Giani, President of the Region of Tuscany, together with Arturo Galansino, Director of Palazzo Strozzi, followed by contributions from important authorities and personalities, which, together with the beautiful photos from the Archive, outline a journey through the most important events of the last century. The architectural changes that revolutionised the city, such as the construction of the Artemio Franchi Stadium and the Santa Maria Novella railway station, recounted by Marco Casamonti, art, accompanied by the words of Cristina Acidini, the years of the Second World War with historian Cosimo Ceccuti, the dramatic images of the 1966 flood accompanied by the touching ones of the Angeli del Fango and the text by Maurizio Naldini, the highlights of Italian sport, such as Fiorentina's first championships with sports journalist Stefano Cecchi, Florentine and Tuscan folklore with Luciano Artusi, and again, Stefania Ricci and Eva Desiderio to recount great craftsmanship and the first Italian fashion shows, Giovanni Vitali, for the theatre and music seasons, to close with Giovanni Bogani, who introduces the photos of the great names from the world of cinema and show business who have passed through Florence. The same important and fascinating themes are covered in the 26 images displayed at Palazzo Guadagni Strozzi Sacrati.
The book, published by Gruppo Editoriale, is on sale in the best bookshops in Florence and Italy, on the most important online bookshops and on gruppoeditoriale.com.
Cover Libro Lo sguardo di un secoloThe exhibition Lo sguardo di un secolo (The Look of a Century) follows two other important monographic exhibitions held in the Uffizi Galleries, featuring images from the Archivio Storico Foto Locchi, one dedicated to the birth of fashion in Florence, the other to the history of motoring in Tuscany.