Country: Iran
Collection Type: Cultural organisation Private collection
Collection Size: > 50,000
Period: 1860-1900 1900-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Glass plates positives and/or negatives Slides (positives)

The Cultural Research Bureau includes the Photo and Pictorial Studies department, which was established around 1996 in order to provide photographs for the institution’s various projects and publications. The activities of this division are divided into research related to general theory and publication of books and quarterly magazines. Some of the departments are focused on history & culture, architecture & culture, photography & culture, philosophy & culture, economy & culture. The Cultural Research Bureau have published a series of books called ‘What do I know about Iran?’ which includes 124 titles.

The collection contains around 50,000 images including glass plates, negatives and positives (slides) and is stored off-site.

Contact Details:
Name: Rana Javadi
Email: ranajavadi@yahoo.com

Country: Algeria
Collection Type: State agency/ Ministry
Collection Size: > 50,000
Period: 1860-1900 1900-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Colour images Digital files Film-based negatives Glass plates positives and/or negatives Prints
Website: http://www.cndpi.org/

Appointed by presidential decree in 1984, the « Centre National de Documentation de Presse et d’Information (CNDPI) » has a mandate to collect, process and preserve all types of information, as well as to publish and circulate documents.

CNDPI is involved in different projects with public institutions and contributes to realizing major goals related to communication and information. It possesses a rich digital and historiographical heritage, which depicts more than a century of Algerian history through texts and photographs.

The photographic archive contains around 1 711 953 negatives and 15 000 photographic slides related to prehistoric and historical vestiges, monuments and historical sites; the social status of Algerians between 1945 and 1954, portrayals of personalities from arts, literature, science and political fields, the major stages of Liberation war, as well as all Algerian cultural, socio-economic and political activity from more than a half century.

The CNDPI also has publications and also contains a video library housing around 800 video recording and reports on political, economic, historical and cultural issues.

The material is available for researchers and teachers and contributes to implementing national politics related to press documentation.

Contact Details:
Name: Nacera Boudjemia
Email: bourouilanacera@yahoo.fr
Address: 2 rue Farid Zouioueche, Kouba, Alger
Tel: 021 77 78 72 / 021 29 89 34

Country: Jordan
Collection Type: Research center
Collection Size: 10,000-50,000
Period: 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Colour images Digital files Film-based negatives Prints
Website: http://cbrl.org.uk/british-Institute-amman

The British Institute in Amman (BIA) is an independent research organization in Jordan. The BIA works to build academic cooperation between British and local universities and other organizations engaged in research; organizes events including conferences, workshops, public lectures and seminars; provides facilities for researchers including a library, study space, guest accommodation, equipment, and fieldwork vehicles; and offers Arabic language training in cooperation with the Qasid Language Institute.

The institute’s origins are as an archaeological field station of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem, which became an independent institute in 1978.
The core of the collection derives from the archive of the institute’s founder, Crystal-M Bennett (1918-1987) and dates from her years active in the field, principally the 1960s to early 1980s. The Institute also possesses numerous photographs donated by associated researchers. The collection includes around 15,000 photographs, which depicts themes of archaeology and heritage as well as ethnography.

Contact Details:
Name: Carol Palmer (Director) and Rudaina Momani (Librarian)
Email: director@bi-amman.org.uk and library@bi-amman.org.uk
Address: 102 Uhod Street Tla’ Al-Ali Amman, Jordan
Tel: .+ 962 6 534 1317

Country: Lebanon
Collection Type: Library University
Collection Size: > 50,000
Period: 1860-1900 1900-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Colour images Film-based negatives Glass plates positives and/or negatives Slides (positives)
Website: http://www.bo.usj.edu.lb/

Founded in 1875, along with the university Université Saint-Joseph (USJ), the Bibliothèque Orientale is a cultural, scientific and patrimonial space for exploration and research in the field of Oriental studies. Since its creation, several collections were put together by Jesuit scholars of the Université Saint-Joseph. The institution’s mission is the preservation of the collection, internal (USJ) research, exhibitions, publications of the material and improving accessibility by cataloging and digitizing. Conservation and restoration workshops are conducted since 2000 in order to preserve these precious funds.
A photograph library of around 50,000 photographic documents groups several collections, including the Poidebard fund, a Jesuit father and pioneer in aerial archeology. The collection dates from late 19th century to the mid 20th century, with the majority of the material from the period between the two World Wars. Photographs were taken as working instruments by the Jesuit archeologists or for documenting of missions and special interests.
Since 2000, the photograph collection has been featured in many exhibitions and publications published by Presses de l’USJ, for instance Portraits photographiques d’Orient (by the Jesuits, Lévon Nordiguian and May Semaan Seigneurie). It is available to the public by appointment.

Contact Details:
Name: Levon Nordiguian
Email: lnordiguian@usj.edu.lb
Address: Saint-Joseph University, Damascus Road – BP 17-5208 Mar Mikhaël
Beirut 1104-2020 – Lebanon
Tel: +961 (1) 421 000

Country: Morocco
Collection Type: Library Public/ National Archive
Collection Size: 1,000-10,000
Period: 1860-1900 1900-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Film-based negatives Glass plates positives and/or negatives Prints
Website: http://www.bnrm.ma/

Founded in 1924, the Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc (National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco, BNRM) has a significant photographic archive dating back to French Protectorate period. Its mission is to collect, process, preserve and disseminate the national documentary heritage of Morocco, and relevant foreign documentary collections, while facilitating access to its documentary collections and bibliographic information.

The BNRM coordinates in the national network of libraries, contributes to national and international scientific activities, and develops research programs related to its mission.

The special collections department became active in 2007, and includes in addition to the cartographic and antiques collections, a photographic collection of approximately 10,000 images, that represents monuments, customs and traditions, historical social and cultural events, etc. and dates back to the 1900s. These include glass-plate and plastic negatives, prints and black and white images. The department makes accessible these collections to researchers and organizes exhibitions on specific themes.

Contact Details:
Name: Naïma Keddane; Rahma Nagi ; Fatima ZohraBouallaga
Email: keddanenaima@yahoo.fr / rahma.nagi@yahoo.fr/ bouallagafz@yahoo.com
Avenue IbnKhaldoun, Rabat, Morocco
+212 5377 71890
+212 537272300

Country: Lebanon
Collection Type: Foundation or Association
Collection Size: > 50,000
Period: 1860-1900 1900-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Colour images Digital files Film-based negatives Glass plates positives and/or negatives Prints Slides (positives)
Website: http://www.fai.org.lb/home.aspx

Finding Aid: local database/ catalogue
The Arab Image Foundation (AIF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, and study of photography and other related visual material from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab Diaspora. Established in Beirut in 1997, it holds over 600,000 photographs from the mid-19th century to the present day.

The collection includes various photographic mediums such as film-based negatives, glass-plates, and prints. It reflects both the general preservation mission of the foundation and the specific interests of its members, who have initiated research projects in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, Argentina and Senegal. Authored by professionals, amateurs and anonymous photographers, the images encompass a range of genres and styles – including studio portraiture, family albums, documentary, reportage, industrial photography, fashion photography, architecture, advertising, fine art, landscape and still life. The collection includes extensive collections entrusted by photographers such as Hashem el Madani (Lebanon), Van Leo (Egypt), Antranig Bakerdjian (Palestine), and Kamil and Rifaat Chadirji (Iraq) among others.

Images from the collection can be viewed online through the AIF website and through the in-house online image database. The AIF’s research facilities include over 1,300 books, monographs, catalogues, journals, theses and DVDs dedicated to the study of photography, preservation, art, theory, and regional history.

The AIF has produced fifteen exhibitions and eight publications in partnership with international museums, galleries and cultural institutions, and the collection has been used for artists’ projects, curatorial initiatives and academic research.

Contact Details:
Email: info@fai.org.lb
Address: Zoghbi Building, 4th floor, 337, Gouraud Street, Gemmayzeh, Beirut
Tel: +961 1 569 373

Country: Lebanon
Collection Type: Press
Collection Size: > 50,000
Period: 1900-1930 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Colour images Digital files Film-based negatives Glass plates positives and/or negatives Prints
Website: http://archives.annahar.com.lb/

One of the largest press publications in the Arab world, Annahar was established in 1933 and its photograph collection, which really began in 1937, expanded as the journal grew. It initially focused on the political and economic life of Lebanon and the Arab world, as well as globally, and today covers all topics including international news, culture and sports.

Three million photos were acquired by donation from staff or contract photographers or by purchase from other news agencies, around half of which have been scanned, digitized and indexed by Annahar’s Information Center. The archive is still expanding and is made available and accessible to researchers, students and the public at large through the online Annahar Archives & Information System program (ANAIS). The photographic archive has been used for publications, including history books, and exhibitions in Lebanon.

Contact Details:
Nabila Bitar, Collection representative
nabila.bitar@annahar.com.lb
http://archives.annahar.com.lb
www.annahar.com
+961-1-963-788

Country: Bahrain
Collection Type: State agency/ Ministry
Collection Size: 10,000-50,000
Period: 1930-1960 1960-1980 Later than 1980
Type of Material & Format: Black and White images Colour images Digital files Film-based negatives Prints
Website: www.bapco.net
Finding Aid: website
Established in 1929, Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) was the first company to have a camera in the country. Thus, BAPCO hold an archive of over 20,000 photographs (negatives and contact sheets) and films dating back to the 1930s covering all the fields of public life in Bahrain.

Contact Details:
Name: Reem Ebrahim, Collection representative
Email: reem_ebrahim@bapco.net ;

pr_department@bapco.net
Address: +974 17757677
Tel: PO Box 25555, Awali, Kingdom of Bahrain

Other:
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bapcopage/albums/with/72157626942467753
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dExXIu5TgBw ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h77r20HwHc