13th Photography Room Presentation / Family in 19th-century Photography

13th Photography Room Presentation
6th August – 23rd November 2025
Curator: Agnieszka Barlak

Family was one of the most prominent themes found in 19th-century photography, and family portraits became a way to permanently capture the images of family members, their homes and their surroundings. This new presentation showcases photographs both commemorating specific family members and documenting their social and material statuses. We will be afforded a glance at private, often intimate portraits: from traditional family photos, to commemorative shots of friends and colleagues – chosen families. The exhibition presents the work of renowned photographers, such as Karol Beyer (1818–1877), Jan Mieczkowski (1830–1889), Walery Rzewuski (1837–1888), Edward Trzemeski (1843–1905), as well as amateur photographers including Antoni Czapski (1853–1899). It is an attempt to capture a valuable testament to aristocratic culture, as well as the development of photography in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Edward Trzemeski (1843–1905), Karol Lanckoroński with his wife Małgorzata and children Tonio and Karolina on the terrace of the Rozdół Palace, 1899, NMW