Thessaloniki Kalemkeris Photography Museum

Location: Kalamaria
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Christos Kalemkeris Photography Museum aims to promote and inform the public of the art and technique of photography. Its number one priority is to get people to know the history of Greece and learn about its cultural heritage.

Christos Kalemkeris was born in Thessaloniki in 1930 to parents from Asia Minor. Growing up, he searched and collected objects of historical value alongside his job. Historical photographs would win his heart and from the 1970s onwards, his passion for photography would take him to all the major cities of Europe seeking photos of Greece. In fact, he thought it was his duty to repatriate these national artworks and set up a private collection. His travels in Europe expanded his passion for photography, leading to him gradually building up one of the largest photographic archives in terms of value and content.
In 2001, Kalemkeris donated his collection to the Municipality of Kalamaria, which established the Museum of Photography. Besides being the founder, he was also the president of the Museum until October 2016, when he retired.

The museum is divided into 9 thematic sections:
• History of photography, featuring extensive photographic material of all styles that have developed from the genesis of photography to the present day, and constitutes a relevant study of the prehistory and history of photography.
• History of Greece, presenting photographic documents from wars that played a decisive role in the history of modern Greece, including the Greek-Turkish War of 1897, the First and Second Balkan Wars and the First and Second World Wars.
• Portraits, exhibiting portraits of eminent Greek personalities, such as kings, politicians, writers, and artists.
• Folklore tradition, having put all kinds of traditional costumes from all regions of Greece on display.
• Greek landscape painting, with albums and photographs of the cities of Greece by distinguished Greek and foreign photographers of the 19th century.
• Greek railways, comprising material and scientific texts and constituting the Encyclopedia of the History of Greek Railways.
• Constantinople - Smyrna, showing all professional photographers who lived in the two former Greek cities.
• Postcards of various themes, signed by Greek and foreign photographers.
• Technique of photography, showcasing examples of photography’s prehistory (i.e. engraving) and samples of photographs covering all the techniques used in photography since its invention throughout the centuries.

Official website: phmk.gr