The Hungarian Society for the History of Photography (Mafot) was founded in 2007. In the recent years more and more museums conduct researches in the field of photo history, but there was a lack of a common platform for those who work in photomuseology, history of photography and the culture of photography.
The main aim of the society is to have photographs included in the protectible cultural heritage. In order to achieve this the society stands out for supporting, protecting, researching and publicating photographic pieces of art and photo documents. It makes an initiative in collaborating with international organisations, museums, and projects of the same aims.
It takes an active part in protection, methodology of archivation, cathalougisation, and scientific analysation of photographs hosted in museums and public assemblies. It considers important to collect the information regarding art protection and to create relevant standpoints about the flow and commercial use of photographic documents. (Trading, publication, copyright, ethical rules, etc.)
As an organisation of the profession of photography, it wishes to take part in developing the photomuseologist training and retraining and is planning to cooperate with university faculties for that matter. It is high time for a society like this to came, especially because there is a radical change now in photography as photography shifts from silver-based technologies to digital. This raises many technical and theoretical questions in public assemblies where – during a race-like attempt of adaptation by virtual database-building and operating – most of the old photographs are even yet to be dealt with. In this situation there is a need for photo collections and archives struggling with the same problems to communicate and cooperate. The Hungarian Society for the History of Photography is the proper forum to do so.
Anyone can be a member of The Hungarian Society for the History of Photography who agrees with the aims of the society and whose application is approved by the Presidium. A completed application form and a written reference from a member of the society is necessary.
President: E. CSORBA, Csilla
Vice President: BÁN, András
Secretary: TÖRÖK, Róbert
Contact: mafotmail@gmail.hu