The photographs displayed in this exhibition portray past campus life juxtaposed with contemporary images. Historical prints were scanned from the Technion’s archive collections, and contemporary photos were selected from digital photo galleries.
The impetus for the exhibition came from a project for digital scanning of the Technion’s Nessayahu Historical Archive, located in the Elyachar Central Library and stored under controlled conditions. The archive includes thousands of items that document the history of the Technion, beginning in 1912 with construction of the original Technion building (then known as the “Technikum”) in Haifa’s Hadar neighborhood. The digitalization process has tremendous significance for documenting, preserving, and making this history accessible to future generations.
The exhibition organizers examined hundreds of photos, finally choosing those that focus on the human angle of campus life. Subsequently, contemporary photos were sought, in digital collections or on Internet sites, that document parallel situations.
These evocative photographs, portraying people and events at different points in time, speak for themselves. They inspire viewers to sail on the wings of knowledge and imagination, and compare past and present norms and fashions, body language, leisure activities, buildings, and changing landscapes.
Anat Har-Gil, Curator
