Theatre photographs database is available on the Internet

Theatre photography has a long and strong tradition in the Czech Republic. In the second half of the 20th century, personalities like Josef Koudelka, Jaroslav Krejčí and many others helped to develop this independent and original genre of artistic photography. The Arts and Theatre Institute now has a unique opportunity to digitalize, describe and make available over 100,000 shots mapping last 60 years of Czech theatre life thanks to support from Norway financial mechanisms. About one half is already available in the Internet database at www.divadelnifotografie.cz. Naturally, the photos of performances are functionally connected with an already accessible on-line database of theatre performances at http://www.divadelni-ustav.cz/inscenace.aspx.  

 
The database also includes vast documentation of works by appreciated professionals of theatre photography – Jaroslav Krejčí, Viktor Kronbauer, Vilém Sochůrek, Jaromír Svoboda and many other famous and less famous authors. It offers photographs by almost two hundred authors from almost 4 000 performances staged on various scenes in the Czech Republic. Users of the theatre database can remember atmosphere and various interpretations of Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride) in J. K. Tyl's Theatre in Pilsen, Rusalka in South Bohemian Theatre in České Budějovice, The Taming of the Shrew in Silesian Theatre in Opava or Romeo and Juliet in the National Theatre in Prague, for instance.