Photo Albums’ Twisted Meanings:
Between Nostalgia and Trauma

25–26 November, 2021, Prague

Photo albums as a subject of historical and theoretical discourse are usually considered an instrument of nostalgic reminiscing or, on the contrary, as a vehicle for the traumatic memories of the creators or their descendants, who were directly confronted with these memories and “postmemories” (Marianne Hirsch). But what about albums divested of the original memories, lacking the “oral scaffolding” (Martha Langford), which have acquired a new, often completely opposite meaning over time – for example, family albums confiscated by the state authorities and discovered by chance in public archives decades later, or aesthetically and visually appealing albums connected with chapters in local history that are generally traumatic? After several decades of postmemory, what was supposed to be a nostalgic or joyful memory has become a confusing and painful reminder. These albums affect us, even though we are only loosely connected to them – through geographical, cultural or linguistic affiliations rather than familiality. Unlike individual photographs, albums are also more substantial and as such make much more pressing claims on the attention of researchers, curators, archivists and laypeople.