A talk titled “Ara Güler Archive” was held at Trakya University’s Faculty of Fine Arts as part of the Edirne Biennial, focusing on efforts to preserve the legendary photographer’s archive and visual legacy.
The event, held at the historic Karaağaç Train Station, highlighted ongoing work to protect and manage the extensive photographic archive of Ara Güler, widely regarded as one of Türkiye’s most important photojournalists.
Doğuş Group art advisor Çağla Saraç discussed the establishment of the Ara Güler Museum and described the archive as a significant cultural asset. She said the archive is “not only a photography collection, but also an important cultural heritage that forms Türkiye’s visual memory,” emphasizing the importance of passing it on to future generations.
Conservation specialist and archive researcher Temel Yılmaz said photographs are more than single images, noting that each carries documentary and historical value. He called Güler’s archive “an important source that sheds light on recent history” and outlined ongoing preservation efforts.
Conservation specialist Selinay Şengül also detailed methods used to preserve negatives and prints, stressing the importance of proper storage conditions for safeguarding photographic heritage.
The discussion concluded with a question-and-answer session.
Ara Güler, born in Istanbul in 1928, was a pioneering photojournalist whose career began in the 1950s. He worked for publications including Hürriyet, Yeni Istanbul, Hayat magazine and later contributed to international outlets such as Time-Life, Paris Match and Der Stern.
Known for his black-and-white images of Istanbul and portraits of figures including Pablo Picasso, Alfred Hitchcock and Winston Churchill, Güler received the “Master of Leica” title in 1962 and was named among the world’s top photographers by Photography Annual in the United Kingdom.
His archive contains more than 2 million photographs, and his work is included in major museums and collections worldwide. Güler died in Istanbul in 2018 at the age of 90.