Photo and Photo Negatives Fund
The collection of photographs and photonegatives contains about 100,000 exhibits. This is material reflecting the history of Georgian theater, music, cinema and choreography from the second half of the 19th century to the present day. Along with the richest photographic material, the collection also contains unique glass negatives, which capture the history of the development of Georgian and foreign theater, music, cinema and choreography. The personal archives of actors and directors are also kept here (Vaso Abashidze, Lado Aleksi-Meskhishvili, Mako Saparova, Elisabed Cherkezishvili, Kote Meskhi, Sandro Akhmeteli, Kote Marjanishvili, Vaso Kushitashvili, etc.)
The fund contains photographs of the activities and productions of the first Georgian theatrical troupes: live images from “The Man in the Panther’s Skin”, scenes from the plays: “Motherland”, “Brother and Sister”, “Divorce”, “Khanuma”, “Eclipse of the Sun in Georgia”, “King Lear”, “Hamlet” and others; there are also extensive footage of the activities of opera and ballet, Italian and Russian operas and public theaters in Georgia. There are also photographs of the first Georgian folk groups and composers. The museum's photo collection is rich in film stills from the first Georgian films: Christine, Akaki Tsereteli's Journey to Racha-Lechkhumi, Arsena Georgiashvili, My Grandmother, Amok, "Saba", The Last Masquerade. The photo and photo negatives collection contains the personal archives of Ivane Perestiani, Aleksandre Tsutsunava, Nikoloz Shengelaia, Vladimer Barski, Mikheil Chiaureli, Aleksandre Digmelov, Rezo Chkheidze, Tengiz Abuladze, Giorgi and Eldar Shengelaia and others, where both photo and film materials are preserved. There are many photos of opera and theater productions from the post-revolutionary period, which provide us with very important information about Akaki Khorava, Akaki Vasadze, Veriko Anjaparidze, Sesilia Takaishvili, Sergo Zakariadze, Ushangi Chkheidze, Vaso Godziashvili, Aleksandre Zhorzholiani and others.
The fund preserves the richest photographic material depicting the cultural activities of national minorities and diasporas in Georgia in the 19th century.
There is also a rich collection of photographs depicting views of theater buildings, the Georgian Philharmonic, the circus, their tours, congresses, orchestras, quartets, ensembles, decades. The fund is rich in materials taken by famous photographers Dmitry Ermakov, Alexander Roinashvili, Eduard Klari, Alexander Mikhailov, Vladimir Barkanov, Alexander German, Abram Nordstein, where you can find both types and scenes from performances, as well as historical monuments, etc. There is also a rich collection of postcards from the second half of the 19th century and the last century.