Photo Album

Three leather-bound albums bearing the title “Svenska Institutet i Rom” contain photographs taken between 1927 and 1942. The images offer insight into the activities undertaken by the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome from the early years following its foundation—established in 1925, with academic work commencing in 1926. They illustrate, in particular, the excursions organized as part of the Institute’s archaeology course to sites in Rome, in the surrounding area, and in various parts of central and southern Italy. These journeys were carried out under the leadership of the Institute’s first three directors—Axel Boëthius, Einar Gjerstad, and Erik Sjöqvist—and together they provide a rich visual testimony to the scholarly and fieldwork practices of the period.