COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES
Photographic Archive

The Photographic Archive of the JMG includes a large and rare number of photographs that cover all aspects of Jewish life and tradition in Greece. The photographic material consists of original black-and-white photographs, printed copies of original pictures, colour photographs and slides. The main part of this archive, not only in quantity, but also regarding its range of subjects, is roughly 2,500 photographs copied from originals that have been lent to the Museum by their owners, who have also ceded all their rights to the JMG. Of great importance, however, is the primary archive of original photographs, which have been donated to the Museum by their owners and which are kept separately and have been replaced by copies, contact sheets and negatives.
The rich thematic variety of those images captures all aspects of Jewish life in Greece, from the end of the 19th century to the present. About one hundred thematic categories have been set in order to improve their classification and access. The daily life of the Greek Jews, their social and professional life are classified according to the cities with an extant or former Jewish population, whereas there are specialized categories for other thematic units, such as the Holocaust, Resistance, Jewish schools and foundations, traditional costumes, events, athletic associations, cemeteries etc. The colour negatives of the Museum are available in the form of magnified contact sheets or printed photographs, covering in a thematic way, different aspects of the social life of the Greek Jews, rare items from the Collections of the JMG and items from temporary exhibitions hosted in the “Benrubi Art Gallery” of the Museum.