The German Photo Council has successfully campaigned to have analog considered to be part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage program.
UNESCO is best known for its World Heritage Sites, which include famous locations worldwide, such as the Taj Mahal, the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Wall of China, and Easter Island, to name just four of the more than 1,200 recognized properties.
However, UNESCO also has the Intangible Cultural Heritage program, which aims to preserve and protect worldwide cultural heritages and recognize their cultural significance. Some of the recognized cultural heritages in the program include seasonal droving of livestock, the art of crafting and playing the rubab instrument, beekeeping culture, Irish harping, and more.
UNESCO describes intangible cultural heritage as: “The practices, knowledge, and expressions that communities recognize as part of their cultural identity, along with associated objects and spaces. Transmitted through generations, this heritage adapts over time, reinforcing identity and respect for cultural diversity.”
As Silvergrain Classics reports, analog photography has been instrumental to sharing and preserving cultural heritage worldwide since the technology was invented in the 19th century. Many famous events have been documented using analog cameras, including, to borrow an example from Silvergrain Classics, the famed Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969.
Arts and traditions are submitted for consideration by a country or group of countries. In the case of analog photography, the effort has been spearheaded by Claudia Determann from the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia, Christian Klant of the German Photo Council, and Thomas Gerwers.
The efforts have been thus far successful, with analog photography officially registered in the State Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Analog photography is now eligible for inclusion at the German federal level. This is where the project is now, pending an expert review at the federal level.
Once analog photography is elevated to the federal level in Germany, it can be considered by UNESCO for inclusion in the organization’s registry of intangible cultural heritage.
“The State Jury… considers analog photographic processes to be an important step in the development of photography… It is highly desirable to preserve this cultural form by passing on the underlying knowledge and skills within the group of analog photography enthusiasts,” says Claudia Determann.
“The [UNESCO] recognition process involves several stages. The nomination for inclusion… in the list of intangible cultural heritage in Germany is an encouraging first step in our quest,” adds Christian Klant.
Analog photography would not be out of place in UNESCO’s registry at all. The list is full of many artistic traditions and technological contributions. Few things have had as much of an impact on how human culture is depicted, shared, and preserved as photography.
Image credits: Featured image by Charles Paul Azzopardi for PetaPixel.
