Qatar National Library inaugurates the exhibition “Between Science and Art: The Beginnings of Photography in the Middle East”

"We are convinced that the scientific achievements that have been made in the world are achievements of the human mind and of human civilization as a whole, and our exhibition today is a model of such joint work, and the result of the cooperation of cultures."

With these words, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari inaugurated the exhibition “Between Science and Art: The Beginnings of Photography in the Middle East”, with the participation of Jean-Baptiste Favre, Ambassador of the French Republic to the State of Qatar.

The exhibition focuses on the stories of the first photographic artists, and presents models of archaeological images that summarized important moments in the Middle East and is considered one of the rarest archaeological collections in the world, which became an example of the beginnings of photography since the decades that followed the announcement of the discovery of photography in 1839. The exhibition also highlights the A collection of the oldest and rarest photographs taken by the most famous photographers during the early years after the invention of the camera.

acquaintance with cultures

The President of Qatar National Library considered this exhibition a fruitful model for cooperation and acquaintance of cultures, describing this cooperation as a motive for the synergy of cultures instead of clashing them, as he put it. .

He added, "As a national library that bears the responsibility of preserving the heritage of the region and the nation, we are convinced that the photography exhibition will be an ideal opportunity for visitors to learn more about the history of the Arab region through rare photos that take them on a journey to the past."

The exhibition "Between Science and Art: The Beginnings of Photography" includes holdings from Qatar National Library (Al Jazeera)

Al-Kuwari noted that the exhibition embodies the vision of the heritage library, which is not limited to the preservation and preservation of heritage, but also aims to make this heritage available and accessible to all, including intellectuals, scholars, institutions and individuals in order to motivate them to be creative.

The exhibition includes holdings from Qatar National Library and Qatar Museums, such as works by the pioneering French photographer Joseph Philibert Girault de Prangy (1804-1892) and the Giroux Daguerréotype, a rare example of the first commercial cameras.

The exhibition also includes a presentation of examples of the first photographic printing techniques.

East from a western perspective

The visitor to the exhibition will feel the importance of these historical collections and the impact of photography on building the image of the "East" from the perspective of Western civilization, and can stand on some details of the intellectual controversy raised by the presence of cameras in the Arab world.

Visitors will learn about the journey of the development of the camera from the dark room in the fifth century BC to the 19th century AD, the contributions of Arab and Muslim scientists in the invention of photography, and the first photographers with the "dagery" photographic technique in the Middle East.

In this context, the Director of Qatar Library, Dr. Hamad Al-Kuwari, was keen to direct from the exhibition grounds "a tribute to the contributions of Muslim scholars - such as Al-Hassan bin Al-Haytham - in optics, which had a fundamental role in the invention of the modern camera."

"As a national library that bears the responsibility of preserving the heritage of the region and the nation, we are convinced that the photography exhibition will be an ideal opportunity for visitors to learn more about the history of the Arab region through rare photos that take them on a journey to the past," he said.

The inauguration ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Khalifa Al Obaidly, photographer and founding director of the Taseer Festival, Dana Al Ghafri, Director of Public Collections at Qatar Museums, and photographer Mashael Al Hijazi.

Qatar National Library is responsible for preserving the national heritage of the State of Qatar by collecting, preserving and making available to all the written heritage and history of the country.

The library provides equal opportunities for all its visitors to access all the information and services it provides, and aims to enable the residents of the State of Qatar to positively influence society by providing an exceptional environment for learning and discovery.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued an Emiri decree establishing Qatar National Library on March 20, 2018, and officially inaugurated it on April 16, 2018.