Publication of photos of ‘folk costumes’ dating back from 1888–1889 as a bridge to heritage preservation

Abstract

The text is dedicated to a future electronic publication with photographs of traditional clothing from the Scientific Archives of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. These photographs are part of a big group of documents with information about the ‘folk costumes’ in the Principality of Bulgaria, collected in the period 1888–1889. At the beginning, the author introduces the reader to the entire archival fund and the information in it connected to the particular elements of clothing; the materials from which they are made, the decoration, manner of dressing, etc. Then she presents the 152 photographs that have come down to us and the existing connection between them and the respective verbal descriptions. The third part of the article is dedicated to the future publication. It will include introductory analytical texts, the photographs themselves with a detailed description of the photographed costumes, as well as indexes. The contribution of the publication for preserving traditional clothing as cultural heritage in museums, in craft workshops, and in the studios of artists designing costumes for theater productions, television and film productions is also emphasized.