istraživanja / research |
istorija fotografije / history of photography |
NOVA IMENA - NOVE ČINJENICE Snezana
Pejović / PRVI FOTOGRAFI U KOTORU
Začetak fotografije u Kotoru zabeležen je početkom
šezdesetih
godina 19-og veka radom prvog fotografa, Anton(ij)a Jelaske. Za njim slede
dvojica Vebera, Karlo otac i Karlo sin, pa Franc Laforest i njegovi naslednici
(supruga Gabrijela i sin Srećko-Feliks). Zatim Rudolf Smodlaka, Eleonora
Prelesnik i nekolicina drugih. O nekima od njih do sad se znalo veoma malo;
o drugima nimalo!
Treba istaći da je rad S. Pejović prvi do sad objavljeni istraživački rad o jednom segmentu fotografije u Crnoj Gori. U prethodnom vremenu postojali su povremeni istraživački "izleti" u to podrucje, u kojima su sporadično doticani životopisi, ili dela, pojedinih fotografa, pretežno onih 19. veka. Takvi, povremeni a malobrojni, napisi (mišljenja, sudovi) rasejani su u nekolikim izdanjima. U radu su izneti mnogobrojni nepoznati podac, mnoge nove činjenice, do sada neobjavljivane i nepoznate fotografskoj istoriografiji. Treba istaći da su, po prvi put pomenute i neke ličnosti, n. pr. Karlo Veber sin, Gabrijela Laforest, Rudolf Smodlaka.
Takodje, prvi put, navedeno je i nekoliko imena, saradnika
(mozda i učenika) ateljea Laforest: Grujić, Zupanić, Stanković i Cirigović,
a svi su bili nepoznati (fotografskoj) stručnoj javnosti. Doprinosom treba smatrati i izvestan broj iznetih hronoloških
fakata koje je S. Pejović unela u rad tumačeći primarne (arhivske)
izvore. (Istraživanje je vršeno u arhivskim fondovima, u okviru proučavanja
starih zanata, a korišćena gradja pripada Istorijskom arhivu Kotora i, delom, Pomorskom
muzeju u istom gradu). To je - kao postupak - takodje,
znatna novost u odnosu na metod dosadašnje hronologije delovanja onih ličnosti
(npr. Jelaske, Vebera i Laforesta) koje su odranije pominjane u literaturi.
Naime, atrubucija njihovih f. dela, i vreme njihove aktivnosti, najčešće
su odredjivani na osnovu čitanja sadržaja ili šturih podataka sa poledjina
fotografija, što je podložno subjektivnoj proceni i manje pouzdano kao
metod atribucije. Rad S. Pejović ima tu prednost što su u njemu interpretirani
istorijski izvori prvoga reda, a akribično tumačenje autora donelo je nesumnjiv
doprinos jednom segmentu proučavanja fotografske istorije južnoslovenskih
zemalja.
Gore desno: Smodlaka, Figura muškarca. Gore levo: Smodlaka, Bokeljska mornarica, 1907. Dole desno: Smodlaka, Načelstvo,Kotor. Dole levo: Smodlaka, Kotorski vatrogasci. |
Snežana Pejović / FIRST PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOTOR, Annuals, XLI-XLII, Maritime Museum of Kotor (Crna Gora / Montenegro), 1993-94. (Summary). On the grounds of the investigation into the archival documents and photo documentation of the Historical Archives and partially of the Maritime Museum of Kotor, it has been found out that the photographer's trade commenced in Kotor in 1860's in the photo studio of Anton Jelaska, the first Kotor photographer. Then followed: Karlo Veber, senior an junior, Frano Laforest and his heirs, Rudolf Smodlaka, Eleonora Prelesnik and others. Antonio Jelaska was first mentioned in the archival sources of 1854 when he asked for permission to open a retail trade of Kotor. The first mention of his studio is found in a document from 1866 in connection with an incident. It is know that Jelaska had worked in Dubrovnik before he moved to Kotor but we luck archival data that would enable us to continuously follow his work. From a letter of the Kotor Municipality from 1892, we learn that Anton Jelaska in the meantime died and his "photo bureau" was closed. This trade was continued by Karlo Veber who moved to Kotor from Dalmatia in 1880 and settled there permanently. In 1881 Karlo Veber submitted a request to the Kotor Municipality for permission to present to Archduke Rudolf with four "photographic views of Kotor" made on occasion of his visit to this town. At the same time the job of a photographer was being done by Frano Laforest, the founder of the photographer's family that worked in Kotor an Boka Kotorska in general for about fifty years. The oldest preserved photograph in the investigated sources is a group photograph of St. George's Congregation on the way back from St. Vincenco's church in 1889. At the time Frano Laforest was still working in Dubrovnik but already in 1893 he was on the list of taxpayers in Kotor and was given permission to place a glass showcase on Square of Arms (Trg od oružja). Gabriela Laforest had a studio in Kotor but at the same time she run one at Tivat until 1919. After 1935 she muved to Hercegnovi and became partners with Eleonora Prelesnik who had run the Laforest studio in Kotor since 1921. Her studio employed numerous photographers of whom the best known were: Gruić, Zupanić, Stanković and Cirigović. In the meantime her son, Srećko (Felix) Laforest, joined her in the family trade and in that way the Laforest studio from many years provided high-quality photographs, from those of private individuals, through picture postcards to getting up of various printed publications. We are short of more detailed information on the work of Karlo Veber, junior. However, much more significant in this period is the work of Rudolf Smodlaka who opened his photo-studio next to St. Clara's church in 1909, where he sold picture postcard, too. This study about the first photographers in Kotor is only the first step in the research of the origins of the photographic activities in this town and in Boka Kotorska in general. |
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FOTOgram has been online
since May 1997. This issue updated: November, 05, 2010. |