Moreover, that time Ventspils could be proud of the presence of well-known photographers. Vilis Rīdzenieks (known as Aleksandrs Mednis until 1921) opened his first photographer's studio in the city in 1910.
 
Looking through the rich collection of Ventspils Museum, historians of the museum decided it was time to show to a wider public what lies in the museum's walls.

 

Exploring the shades of sepia images it can be concluded that about five photographer's studios were in operation in Ventspils at the turn of the century, and by 1942 their number had doubled.
 
The exhibition covers digitalized vintage postcards, photo equipment of 1930s and more than 200 original photographs from museum's collection. A special rarity is an album created by Vilis Rīdzenieks that includes photos of Ventspils and its surroundings. The exhibition starts with a dark room (camera obscura), in which image is formed.

 

Supporters: Latvian Museum of Photography, Andris Rebhūns, Ventspils Digital Centre

 

* an early type of photograph, developed by Louis Daguerre, in which the image is exposed directly onto a mirror-polished surface of silver bearing a coating of silver halide particles deposited by iodine vapor