Anne Copley

As part of the Trust’s commitment to the Italian contadini and their part in sheltering so many of our forefathers, there has been a travelling exhibition of unique photographs taken between the 1930s and the 1950s. These show the early beginnings of change in the feudal system of the mezzadria which condemned many generations of peasant farmers to a life unchanged since the Middle Ages.   

The backstory is fascinating, in that the photographer and many of the individuals remain unknown. The negatives themselves languished in a drawer for many years, only to be discovered by filmmaker Giordano Viozzi after the death of his aunt Fernanda Millevolte. They exhibit a degree of amateurism, suggesting the camera was in the hands of someone with little technical experience, likely attempting to emulate the composition techniques of professional photographers. 

The individuals photographed are all from southern Le Marche, close to Monte San Martino. Mostly illiterate and impoverished sharecroppers who would more usually feature only as bucolic incidentals in a rural landscape, they are now put front and centre, facing the viewer and presenting us with the reality of a way of life that has now passed into history. 

First exhibited in Italy, most recently in “The Shed” at Monte San Martino, a space for artists founded by art specialist Jeremy Wiltshire, the photos have now embarked on a tour. This started with two weeks at Worcester College, Oxford, from 18th February to 2nd March, an expansive space in the college’s extensive grounds. There were many visitors. 

Subsequently, a select few photographs moved on to Derby, to take part in the internationally-renowned Festival of Photography – “Format” – which takes place in the city every two years. They remain there until August, when the whole collection will be reunited and prepared for exhibition at the Italian Cultural Institute in Edinburgh. 

When I first saw these photos, I was very struck by the fact that I was looking into the faces of those who, only a few years hence, would be responsible for the largest rescue of Allied escapers ever known.  They deserve to be recorded and I hope this exhibition goes some way towards doing that. We have ambitious plans to extend the tour into the rest of the UK and abroad. 

We would appreciate hearing from any Trust supporters who can suggest likely venues.