The study of the history of photography in Malta has, in the past few years, made gigantic strides. We now know a lot about the pioneers, the glam camera artists, the dominant studios, their product. But we have bypassed those more lowly in the pecking order – the itinerant photographer who daily set up his bulky camera in well-frequented public spaces, waiting for passing trade. They didn’t advertise, they did not sign or stamp their handiwork. It was cash and carry business. I believe the first to find them worthy of some mention was Kevin Casha in his milestone Photography in Malta.
A leading political exile, later a highly controversial and scandal-weighted prime minister of united Italy over two periods, had a tempestuous Malta interlude. Relentless turmoil marked his entire public and private life. Some so-far unknown papers have emerged from three Maltese archives that throw fresh light on the Malta stay of this high-profile politician, who incidentally retained some fondness for the Maltese in spite of his misadventures on the island which he even referred to as scoglio ingrato.
The Sicilian lawyer Francesco Crispi, or Crispi-Genova as he preferred to call himself in Malta, a towering giant in the convoluted Italian politics of the 19th century unification of the fragmented Italian peninsula, had to escape hurriedly from Italy after participating in the failed uprising in Milan in February 1853. On March 14, he somehow obtained an American passport valid for three months to travel to the US, and instead headed for Malta, then an unwelcoming haven for Itali
This is part two in a three-part series. Read part one.
Malta in the 19th century was a vastly different place compared to today. Housing was extremely basic and sanitary conditions appalling. In 1839, most of the population slept on straw and covered themselves with rags and sacks. There were no sewers or mains water supply. Most houses had no bathroom, no ventilation and few windows.
By 1851, personal hygiene standards were still incredibly low with most people continuing to be highly reluctant to wash. Such conditions inevitably facilitated the spread of diseases, some deadly, claiming the lives of almost half of the infants born every year.