The Gozo Album, a digital archive that is set to change how we connect with our island's rich past, was unveiled by Minister Clint Camilleri at the Public Service Expo Village on 24 May, 2025. This project by the Ministry for Gozo and Planning stands as a vibrant testament to our dedication to preserving and celebrating Gozo's unique visual heritage.
The Gozo Album is far more than just a website; it is a vibrant, interactive journey through time, meticulously curated to bring to life the visual history of Gozo. With over 1,500 historical photographs, some dating back to the 1800s, this platform offers an unparalleled glimpse into the lives, landscapes, and moments that have shaped our community.
This ambitious project is the fruit of a strategic collaboration between the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, the Ministry's internal IT section - the Information Management Unit, and the National Archives - Gozo Section. This synergy of expertise has resulted in a robust and user-friendly platform designed to engage and enlighten.
This Gozo Album is a bridge between generations, a tribute to our people, and a lasting digital legacy for future Gozitans. It brings to life the history of our island, not just to preserve it, but to share it. Indeed, the Gozo Album embodies this philosophy, ensuring that our past is not merely stored away, but actively explored and appreciated by all.
The platform boasts a wealth of innovative features designed to enhance the user experience
Photo Album: A thoughtfully categorised collection allowing for easy navigation by locality, decade, and theme.
Then & Now: A captivating feature that offers side-by-side comparisons of historical and contemporary views of the same locations, vividly illustrating the passage of time.
Photographers Page: Dedicated profiles honouring the significant contributions of key photographers such as Michele Farrugia (il-Badiku), Richard Ellis, Salvatore Lorenzo Cassar, and Guido Stilon, whose lenses captured invaluable moments of Gozitan life.
Timeline Page: A chronological exploration of Gozo's history, featuring poignant examples like the Azure Window, documented from its earliest known photograph in 1890 to its final image on March 8, 2017.
1943 Wartime Aerial Photos: A rare and fascinating collection of overhead views of Gozo during the tumultuous years of World War II.
Metadata-Rich Collection: Each photograph is meticulously tagged with details such as date or era, photographer, and precise location, enabling comprehensive filtering and discovery.
Local Council Integration: A pioneering widget system, now live on all Gozitan local council websites, empowers each locality with its own dedicated visual heritage portal, fostering a sense of local pride and accessibility.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the upcoming WordPress Plugin, which will allow seamless integration of the archive into external sites, such as those of schools, NGOs, and tourism operators, further expanding its reach and utility.
Crucially, the Gozo Album is conceived as a living archive. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming feature that will allow community contributions, enabling users to upload their own historical photos and stories. This public participation will ensure the platform continues to grow, enriching our collective memory for generations to come.
The success of this project owes much to the vital support received from various quarters, including students engaged through government-backed work exposure schemes, the dedicated technical contractors involved in its development, and voluntary organisations such as the Malta Image Preservation Archive (MIPA). Their commitment and expertise have been instrumental in bringing this vision to fruition.
Those who attended the Public Service Expo and visited the Gozo stand could experience the platform's core features firsthand, engage with interactive games, and explore visual timelines specifically developed for this public event.
I invite everyone to explore this extraordinary digital resource and delve into the captivating visual narrative of our island. Visit www.gozoalbum.gov.mt to embark on your own journey through Gozo's past. The Gozo Album is not just an archive; it is a celebration of our heritage, a gift to the present, and a legacy for the future.
John Xuereb is Director for Cultural Heritage Ministry for Gozo and Planning