The enchanting history of Albania and Shkodër through the lenses of Photo Marubi

The Marubi photo collection (Fototeka Marubi), today the National Museum of Photography in Shkodra, consists of over 150,000 photos, many of which are of great historical, artistic, and cultural significance.

Marubi National Museum of Photography, Skadar, Photo: Marina Binoshaj – Phone, CC BY-SA 4.0

It was compiled by three generations of photographers. Pietro Marubbi (1834-1903) was an Italian painter and photographer who, as a supporter of Garibaldi, emigrated from Piacenza in Italy to Shkodra around 1850 for political reasons.

Pietro Marubbi, Photo: Public domain

There he founded the photo business Photo Marubi, with the cameras he took with him. The oldest photographs in the collection date from 1858-1859.

Marubi National Museum of Photography, Skadar, Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, CC BY-SA 2.0

Marubi was assisted by the young Rrok Kodheli (1862-1881) and his brother Kel Kodheli (1870-1940), the latter of whom took over the family business after Pietro’s death and changed the name to Kel Marubi.

He advanced special effects techniques and learned to retouch negatives. He also started taking photos outside of the studio with more advanced cameras.

Marubi National Museum of Photography, Skadar, Photo: Olive Titus, CC BY-SA 2.0

The third generation of Marubi photographers in the family was Kel’s son, Gegë Marubi (1907-1984). He studied in Lyon from 1923 to 1927 in the first school of photography and film, founded by the Lumière brothers, and worked in Shkodra as a professional photographer from 1928 to 1940. He was a pioneer in working with celluloid instead of glass plates.

The Marubi photo collection impressively captures and documents the history of Albania and Shkodra. It contains fascinating photographs of tribal leaders, mountain uprisings, city life in Shkodra, and various public events.

Since 1994, with the help of UNESCO, there have been attempts to preserve the collection and make it publicly available.

Marubi National Museum of Photography, Skadar, Photo: cristina.sanvito, CC BY-SA 2.0

If you are planning a visit to Shkodra, be sure to stop by this impressive museum and see the past of Albania and Shkodra through the lens of Photo Marubi.