Today we take a trip back to the heart of the 1920s, a period in which the Viareggio Carnival was consolidated as one of the most important popular events in Italy. Let us discover together the evolution of this tradition through stereoscopes, objects as fascinating as they are delicate, harbingers of today’s 3D viewers. 

We are at the beginning of Fascism in Italy. During this period, the Viareggio Carnival took on a biting and ironic satirical connotation  in moderate forms due to the regime. The leitmotif of the floats always remained irony, and the papier-mâché masters demonstrated this by experimenting and fielding increasingly daring shapes and sizes. The representations of the floats ranged from political figures to universal themes such as war and freedom. The Carnival of those years was greeted by an ever-increasing and involving participation of Viareggio’s citizens. 

Today, the Viareggio Carnival remains a cultural event of the highest importance in the Italian folklore scene, attracting onlookers and enthusiasts from all over the world. The Carnival’s success is also due to the Viareggio Carnival Foundation, which is responsible for the preservation and enhancement of the tangible and intangible assets of this tradition. Among these, we find the photographs. In fact, those years survive thanks to Guido Zeppini, one of the most important photographers of the period, who immortalised the first grandiose parades with his lens.His photographs allow us to relive the unique atmosphere of those editions, capturing the art of the floats and the expressions of a lively Viareggio in transformation.

In the context of the valorisation and preservation of the precious Guido Zeppini photographic fund, Centrica has taken care of the very high resolution digitisation of the 210 stereoscopic plates, allowing the digital preservation of one of the most significant visual archives of the Viareggio Carnival.

Parallel to the digitisation work, Eugenia Di Rocco, expert in the restoration of photographic materials, carried out an important work of reconditioning and restoration of the original plates

Eugenia tells us:

‘Stereoscopies are very curious objects, consisting of two apparently identical photographic images arranged on a single support, which, when observed through a viewer equipped with reflecting lenses or mirrors, allow the reconstruction in three dimensions of the scene being filmed. This is possible because the camera that produces them is equipped with two lenses placed at a distance similar to that of the human eyes and which take images at the same instant from two slightly different points of view. 

The Zeppini Collection consists of 210 black-and-white stereoscopic photographs on a glass plate, both positive with silver bromide gelatin emulsion and negative with silver bromide gelatin emulsion. 

Due to the precarious state of preservation and the handling they had undergone over time, the plates showed chemical, physical and biological damage. Coherent and inconsistent solid deposits, limescale residues and patinas were present on the surface of all the plates. At the same time, many of the images showed silver mirroring, yellowing of the binder and fingerprints, as well as traces of fungal bloom, small gaps, scratches and cracks in the glass. The aim of the restoration work was to re-establish optimal reading conditions for the images and to eliminate any possible causes of further deterioration. 

Cleaning was carried out with soft bristle brushes and microfiber cloths used dry or soaked in a hydro-alcoholic solution. In the presence of decohesion and lifting of the image or cracks in the support, consolidation work, carried out with compatible and reversible adhesives and methods, restored structural stability while, where biological traces were found, disinfectant treatments were applied.

The restored plates were then placed in four-ply envelopes, on which the inventory number was affixed, and placed vertically in custom-made boxes with materials certified for long-term preservation”.

This project represents an interesting case-study of the synergic work of protection, valorisation and enjoyment of the cultural heritage of the Viareggio Carnival.