Michele Biondi
The Casella family, originally from Ancona, settled in Fabriano between 1903 and 1904. They specialized in portrait photography, enlargements, and reproductions of artworks. Over the years, they participated in numerous exhibitions and trade fairs, receiving prestigious awards that solidified their reputation and expanded their influence beyond regional boundaries.
The research celebrates the work and vision of Casella photographers through a selection of unique photographs and artifacts from the family’s archive, driven by the desire to preserve this valuable photographic heritage for future generations.
The project, undertaken with passion and dedication over more than two years, followed a collaborative approach involving the family’s descendents along with a group of historians, collectors, and local photography enthusiasts. The collection of oral testimonies, together with the consultation of unpublished photographs and documents, enriched and completed the research, preserving the memories of three generations of photographers. The support of the city’s major cultural institutions, such as associations, foundations, libraries, newspapers, and archives, was also crucial.
The Casella family’s photographs offer a significant contribution to the historical and photographic documentation of Fabriano, sparking reflections on the city’s social environment, economy, religious life, popular traditions, and local pictorial art, as well as fostering greater awareness of the importance of preserving the memory of places.
Master’s Degree thesis project
Photographs: © Archivio Casella
© Fondazione Fedrigoni Fabriano
Service:
Editorial Design
Archive
Photography
Design and Research:
Michele Biondi
Supervised by:
Marta Sironi
Luciano Stroppa
Edition
22,5 x 29,5 cm
444 pp.
Thread-sewn hardcover with tipped-in image and white silkscreen
Printed in June 2024
Limited edition of 10 copies