The Bank of Italy's photographic archive acquires, conserves and catalogues photographs, and makes them available for consultation, in conformity with the laws protecting intellectual property rights. It holds images produced or acquired by the Bank in the course of its activities that are passed on to the Historical Archives once they are no longer of immediate administrative value.
The core of the collection was gathered in 1997 through a survey of the photographs held by the various Bank units and even by staff. With the systematic acquisition of photographs from ordering and cataloguing the Archival fonds, the collection now amounts to over 50,000 photos, contact sheets and albums of positives, plus a conspicuous number of negatives on film and plates. Many pictures are of events at the Bank, such as the General Meeting of Shareholders, conferences, visits and official ceremonies; others document significant historical events, such as the recovery of the store of gold seized by the Germans during the Second World War and its delivery back to the Bank of Italy at Palazzo Koch. There are pictures of members of the Governing Board (mostly on official occasions), of staff members at work and at the Bank's recreational facilities, and of prominent figures in the field of economics. The collection also features a large number of pictures of the Bank's premises, including the Bank's offices abroad. There are also photographic reproductions of part of the art collection housed at Palazzo Koch, as well as documentation on police inspections following the detection of counterfeiting plants.
In conformity with the ministerial guidelines granting photography cultural heritage status, the Historical Archives have undertaken to protect, preserve and capitalize the Bank's photographic holdings. Restoration work has been done on the most delicate and worn photographs, and the entire collection is in the process of being organized and catalogued. Digital reproduction of all the images is under consideration with a view to safeguarding the originals and facilitating consultation.
Of particular note is the volume edited by Marina Miraglia, Il potere dell'immagine. Ritratto della Banca Nazionale nel 1868, published by Laterza in 2003. It reproduces all the photographs from an album compiled in 1868 by one of the Bank of Italy's predecessor institutions, Banca Nazionale nel Regno. The photos show the staff at that date, divided by office and branch, and constitute a rare and remarkable chapter in the history of photography in Italy.
