Museum of Photography in Krakow

The Walery Rzewuski Museum of the History of Photography in Krakow, with its main seat at 22 Rakowicka Street, is a public cultural institution whose roots date back to 1972, when, on the initiative of Władysław Klimczak, a museum was established at the Krakow Photographic Society. Initially, it operated in the Puget Palace and later in the Hetmańska Tenement House, and from 1986, the museum gained the status of an independent institution. In the 1990s, the institution was forced to change its location, resulting in a move to the building at Józefitów Street, where the museum has borne the name of Walery Rzewuski since 2007. In 2018–2020, the villa underwent a thorough renovation, which adapted it into a modern conservation and research center, making workshops and storage facilities accessible to visitors. In 2021, the museum gained a new seat at Rakowicka Street, in a historic building of the former Armory. The museum gathers rich collections, which include artistic photographs, photographic and cinematographic equipment, as well as literature and archives related to the history of photography in Poland. Interestingly, the museum also has virtual collections and publishes its own publications. The uniqueness of the Museum of the History of Photography is emphasized by the Gold Medal "Meritorious for Polish Photography" awarded to it for its contribution to the development of this field.