The past is citable in all its moments, wrote Walter Benjamin, making the point that everything, regardless of how ephemeral, partakes of history. Much, however, is lost and forgotten with the passing of time and who can tell that what survives is the most significant event, scene, memory?
In his talk on “Visual representations of Maltese Features”, Melitensia collector Albert Ganado presented wonderful views in Malta which have been lost, forgotten moments in its social history and rare images from its historical scene.
“Each object and image tells a story and bears eloquent testimony to the beauty of Malta as it once was,” said Din L-Art Helwa president Martin Scicluna, at the end of the talk, held at the heritage organisation’s premises.
The images and objects selected by Dr Ganado focused
on six themes, all Maltese or connected with Malta.
“These are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr Ganado. “Between 1536 and 1850 when lithography was at its peak, there are probably close to 1,000 maps of Malta. This is just talking of printed maps because there are also many manuscript maps. They are found in libraries and collections all over Europe. Then there are the prints - of views and many other subjects - which run into thousands.
“Over 140 maps of the Siege of Malta have been traced and there are 92 sixteenth-century maps of Valletta being built,” he added.
“I am sure that no other country can boast of such a richness of recording for future generations of the Maltese islands,” said Dr Ganado. “There is no single historical event in the sixteenth century - not even the Battle of Lepanto - which can boast of so many maps as the Siege of Malta!”
Dr Ganado presented rare images that have captured important events for posterity, forgotten moments of our islands’ history, such as Brocktorff’s depiction of the arrival of Queen Adelaide or the portrayal of the arrival of the Royal Commissioners.
He described scenes the island offered that have long been lost, such as the Hungarian Count Ivan Forray’s unique ‘A Bedroom in the Lazzaretto’, of 1842 taken from the artist’s travel book published by his mother in 1859, after his demise.
Dr Ganado showed pictures in lithography of local folklore, costumes, artisans and trades, the latter taken by Pietro Paolo Caruana. He also illustrated, with examples taken from original documents, the unusual use of engraved borders on Maltese diplomas and poems, and lithographed views on letterpaper.
For the lover of theatre and opera, Dr Ganado described a series of lithographed portraits of 19th century visiting artists who all performed at the Manoel Theatre before the building of Valletta’s Royal opera house.
Dr Albert Ganado is chairman of the National Archives Advisory Committee, as well as vice-president of the Malta Historical Society of which he was a founder member in 1950 and has served as its president for several years. He has been an eminent member of the legal profession since 1947 and has written numerous publications. Last year, to quote his own words, he celebrated his fiftieth year as a passionate and committed collector of Melitensia having made his first purchases in 1953.
Copyright belongs to and is being reserved by Albert Ganado