Photography * Research * Library

The Photothek and the Library of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI) are preparing to address a new challenge: the dissolution of conceptual hierarchies between documentary and artistic photographs, between books as mere texts and books as authorial objects. Over the past fifteen years, the Photothek has activated its holdings by proposing innovative readings of archival photographs and actively contributed to the emergence of a transdisciplinary field of study at the intersection of photography and archive studies. In numerous scientific and artistic projects, the status of photographs as material and social objects has been critically examined. The Library also has increasingly explored the material and cultural dimensions of books as objects, creatively curating its rara as well as modern materials such as the Joseph Beuys collection.

These joint efforts of the Photothek and the Library have led to the establishment of the Photography Research Library, a special collection of books focused on the theory and history of photography, international in scope and transdisciplinary in orientation. This significant development was made possible by a series of major acquisitions with the generous support of the Max Planck Society, and continues to be shaped by the Library’s acquisition policy and the Photothek’s scholarly expertise.

Housed on the ground floor of the recently inaugurated building on Via Modena, the Photography Research Library enters into dialogue with the Photothek’s collection and the broader library holdings, functioning not only as a research laboratory, but also as a dynamic hub for a growing community of international scholars engaged in photography studies.

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