Menu

Traveljus online mag

Traveljus online travel magazine

Steichen-collections-featured-traveljus

The Steichen collections present the bittersweet years of photography

, , ,

A man, his camera and The Family of Man

The Steichen Collections in Luxembourg bring together unique photographic masterpieces connected with the long and varied career of artist and photographer Edward J. Steichen (1879-1973).

The Steichen collections present the bittersweet years of photography

The Family of Man

Curated by Edward Steichen, The Family of Man exhibition was first shown at The Museum of Modern Art in NYC in January 1955. Often hailed as the most successful exhibition of photography ever put together, the Family of Man toured the world for eight years and was on view in over 150 museums worldwide. Until 1994, when the complete exhibition was permanently installed as the Steichen collection in Clervaux Castle in Luxembourg, Edward Steichen’s birth country.

The Family of Man is composed of the original black and white prints made by 273 artists from 68 countries.  All the traveling left most of the prints in such a fragile state that two large-scale restoration campaigns were necessary to preserve them. The Family of Man summarized Steichen’s approach to photography. Photographs were chosen for their capacity of communication and grouped together in themes to form a photographic essay. Now in its 65 plus years anniversary, the Family of Man still going strong as the greatest photography exhibition ever.

The Bitter Years

The Bitter years refer to the years from 1935 to 1943, during and after the Great Depression (made worse by a terrible drought), in which many people in rural America were passing through a period great distress and poverty. One-third of the nation was so ill-housed and ill-nourished that President Roosevelt established the Farm Security Administration (FSA). The FSA needed information. What’s more, the visual information provided by photographs.

The FSA created an extensive photography archive consisting of 175.000 negatives. The documentary photographs reveal an experience of American life that was unique. Made by photographers like Paul Carter, John Collier, Jr., Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Theo Jung, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, Carl Mydans, Arthur Rothstein, Ben Shahn, John Vachon, and Marion Post Wolcott, portray scenes of the Great Depression, farms, small-town life, and the build-up of American industry for WWII. The Waassertuerm in Dudelange, Luxembourg features 200 of them.

The Steichen collections present the bittersweet years of photography
The Steichen collections present the bittersweet years of photography

The Family of Man (1955) in Clervaux and The Bitter Years (1962) in Dudelange

The Steichen Collections in Luxembourg (both in Clervaux and Dudelange) bring together unique photographic masterpieces. Steichen had always stayed a Luxembourger at heart. In 1963, when he met Grand Duchess Charlotte at a state visit in the White House, Steichen introduced himself as ‘e Lëtzebuerger Jong’ (a Luxembourg boy). In accordance with Steichen’s wishes, the United States government presented in 1966 his native country Luxembourg with a traveling edition of The Family of Man. After his death, Steichen paid again tribute to his country of origin. He bequeathed a large part of his work to Luxembourg. The Family of Man (1955) in Clervaux, and The Bitter Years (1962) in Dudelange not only illustrate his work as a curator but also his vision on photography and life in general.

Edward Jean Steichen 

Edward J. Steichen began taking photographs at the age of 16, going on to become one of the most famous American photographers of the twentieth century. In the 1950s and 1960s Steichen was known for his work for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Born in Bivange, Luxembourg on March 27, 1879, Edward J. Steichen emigrated to the United States in 1881, where he studied photography and painting in the 1890s. He participated in various photo exhibitions in Europe and the USA. In the early 1900s a critic wrote admiringly that Steichen “is not satisfied showing us how a person looks, but how he thinks a person should look.” In New York, he met the famous Alfred Stieglitz who bought his photographs. Stieglitz and Steichen co-founded the Photo-Secession Movement in 1902, and in 1905, the Little Galleries in New York City. From 1906 to 1914 Steichen managed to work as a painter and photographer in France, where he also served as head of aerial photography for the USA Air Force during WWI.

The Steichen collections present the bittersweet years of photography

Photography exhibitions

In need of money, Steichen threw himself into the world of commercial photography, devoting 15 years to Condé Nast publications, and the J. Walter Thompson agency, besides his own studio. During WWII Steichen started to guest curate the exhibitions “The Road to Victory,” or “Power in the Pacific”. As director of the department of photography at the Museum of Modern Art NYC, he curated “The Family of Man” in 1955, seen by 9 million people, but not without its critics. 

Kato-Zakros-Archaeological-site

Archaeological sites are theatres of another time – Minoan Kato Zakros

, , , , ,

Exploring the silence of  stones

Almost at the far edge of eastern Crete, in a barren, mostly unspoilt landscape, you’ll find the Minoan Palace of Kato Zakros close to the shores of the Libyan Sea. The Minoan palace of Kato Zakros fascinates once you start imagining its past. Its existence is an act open to possibilities. The palace had about 300 rooms arranged around a central courtyard and covered an area of about 8,000 square meters. It is the fourth largest Minoan palace complex on Crete. Exploring the site you are bound to pick something up from its silent stones. 

Archaeological sites are theatres of another time – Minoan Kato Zakros

Historical footprint

The palace of Kato Zakros may not be as imposing or widespread as the more well-known palaces of Phaistos or Knossos, but its historical footprint is revelatory. From its establishment around 1900 BC until 1450 B.C. the palace of Kato Zakros was the religious, administrative, and economic centre of eastern Crete. Evidence of trade with the East were found in a storeroom in the West Wing consisting of four elephant tusks and six bronze talents. Since the Zakros Palace operated as a commercial outlet from and to the East, the palace also had access to a port through its main gate at the northeastern side.

An often overlooked trade exchange with the East was cultural. Sovereigns from Canaan and Egypt for example would hire Minoan artists to paint stylish Minoan frescoes on their palace walls. Excavations at the site of Tell el-Dabʿ in the Nile Delta region of Egypt revealed high-quality wall paintings executed in Minoan technique and style. In these palaces, dating back to the Thuthmoside period, the walls were covered with  Minoan court emblems and motifs, such as bull-leaping and wrestling scenes, such as seen mainly in Knossos. 

Zakros and Knossos

One of the historical enigmas of Zakros is its status in relationship to Knossos. At the time Eastern Crete was an area of strategic importance and kept an extensive trade network with the Near and Middle East. One theory assumes that Zakros, because it lacked sufficient agricultural land to sell or exchange produce, made its living from importing luxury items for Knossos. There is likewise the presumed theory that Zakros was one of the major naval bases of the Minoan fleet in Crete. And what does this say about the political structure of Minoan Crete? Was Zakros governed independently or as part of an autonomous region controlled by the monarch of Knossos?

Archaeological sites are theatres of another time – Minoan Kato Zakros

A considerable number of Minoan buildings and clay imprints

Kato Zakros was first excavated in 1901 by the British archaeologist and scholar D. Hogarth. The remains of a Minoan settlement came to the surface, indicating a flourishing and sophisticated civilisation. Hogarth found around 300 clay stamps. These clay imprints indicated an administrative system for the stock counting of (commercial) products. Some of these clay stamps dating back to 15th century B.C. originate from Knossos, another sign of a possible close relationship between Knossos and Zakros. When a typhoon hit the area in the summer of 1901 Hogarth was forced to abandon the excavation. He almost drowned, but managed to escaped by miracle.

Spectacular craftmanship

Sixty years later, in October 1961, the Ephore of Cretan Antiquities N. Platon started a new excavation in the valley of Kato Zakros. The Greek archeologist was convinced that Kato Zakros was much more than a harbour or a naval settlement. The 1960s excavations discovered a large palace complex with many typical Minoan architectural features. These include a large central court (30x12m), secondary courts, porticos, a monumental stepped entrance, one and two storey buildings, and storage rooms. Some rooms were embellished with frescos similar to those at Knossos, depicting bulls, spirals and double axes.

Archaeological sites are theatres of another time – Minoan Kato Zakros

Contrary to palaces of Knossos, Malia and Phaistos, the palace of Zakros was not looted. During millennia it was covered by earth and left untouched. The remote location surely helped. Artefacts of great aesthetic and artistic value were found, ceremonial pots and vessels, including the most beautiful stone vessel of the Cretan-Mycenaean era. One of the highlights as well is the small (16 cm) rhyton carved in rock crystal. A real masterpiece of craftsmanship and technical skill exhibited in the Heraklion Archaeological museum. The body is made of a single core of hard stone. The neck is attached to the body by a ring of crystal beads and gilded ivory discs. Nobody knows which techniques were used to carve it or how they made the handle of spherical crystal beads threaded onto a bronze wire.  To work the crystal you need a material that is harder than the crystal itself.

Archaeological sites are theatres of another time – Minoan Kato Zakros

The architecture of the palace of Kato Zakros

The architecture of the palaces of Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros in the first period around 2000-1900 B.C. seems to be based on an organic building structure. The natural environment, mostly the climatic and geological conditions,  dictated the construction more than geometric principles.

The palace was not only the king’s residence, but also the centre of religious, economic and political life. Living quarters, reception halls, sanctuaries, warehouses and workshops are all grouped around a central courtyard. Columns are a fundamental element of Minoan architecture. The living quarters are often located on the east side, sometimes spread over several floors, connected by stairs. On the west side are the warehouses and the religious spaces. From the terraces with overhanging gardens, colonnades and loggias, one looks out over the landscape.

Similar to many other Minoan buildings on Crete, the Zakros palace and the town were suddenly destroyed around 1450 BC, marking the end of the Neopalatial period.

Underwater diving Minoan Shipwreck Pseira Crete

Exciting ancient Minoan finds in the waters near Crete

, , ,

A woman, the Cretan sea and a Minoan shipwreck

There is a land called Crete in the midst of the wine-dark sea, a fair, rich land, begirt with water, and therein are many men, past counting, and ninety cities.
*Homer, Odyssey

Elphida Hadjidaki, a Greek sea archaeologist 

Ancient Crete has intrigued and seduced archaeologists for a long time. For sea archaeologist Elphida Hadjidaki-Marder this seduction started early. Growing up in Chania, Crete certainly helped. Jumping in and out of the sea from a young age too. Combine this with being an avid reader of books on ancient Greece, and it is clear how Elphida developed her passion for sea archaeology that became to define her life. Her interest in ancient harbours and her many dives allowed Elphida Hadjidaki to make significant contributions to the field of underwater archaeology. One of the highlights of her archaeological career was finding the first-ever Minoan shipwreck near the coast of Crete. “I always wanted to find a Minoan shipwreck,” she said in interviews, “so I started looking for one near the island of Pseira.”

Exciting ancient Minoan finds in the waters near Crete

Crete is known as the island of the Minoans

It was the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans who came up with the name Minoans, and not the Minoans themselves. Evans named the Minoan civilization after the legendary king Minos. However, their origin probably lies elsewhere. DNA analysis of Minoan skeletons indicates that these Minoans are probably descendants of a people that reached Crete about 9000 years ago as part of a migration wave from Anatolia. The Minoan era, this sophisticated ancient Bronze Age civilization, lasted approximately from 3100 B.C. to 1050 B.C. 

The Minoans, the legendary people of the sea

The earliest ruler known to have possessed a fleet was King Minos. He made himself master of the Greek waters and subjugated the Cyclades. Minoan seafaring opened up trade routes with other parts of the Mediterranean basin. There are plenty enough images of ships on frescoes, but a Minoan shipwreck was never found. Until sea archaeologist Elphida Hadjidaki and her team received funding from the Aegean Prehistory Institute in 2003 to dive for Minoan shipwrecks near Crete.

Following your instincts pays off

After receiving the grant Elphida and her team started sonar scanning the seabeds. They detected 20 possible sites, however, these sites did not provide anything interesting to research further. In the last days of the 2003 sea survey, Hadjidaki decided to follow her instincts and take her team to the area around the small island of Pseira on the northeastern coast of Crete, opposite Mochlos. She knew that the area was first researched by the famous sea explorer Jacques Cousteau in 1975-1976. At the time Cousteau was looking for signs of the lost continent of Atlantis within a certain diameter of the island of Santorini. Instead, Cousteau found Minoan pottery in the waters near Pseira. At the time Cousteau assumed the pottery to come from sunken ships in the harbour of Pseira, the result of a volcanic eruption around 1500 B.C. Nowadays the pottery is believed to come from the collapsed harbour houses on Pseira. Elphida Hadjiki and her team resolved not to go to the spot where Cousteau dived, but just off it and dive deeper. Actually they did not have to dive deep, soon on the sea floor they found an area lined up with amphoras, cups and jugs.

Pseira island Crete and some underwater pottery found there

Pseira island Crete and some underwater pottery found there

Pottery from the Middle Minoan period around 1800-1700 B.C.

In 2004 she returned with a bigger team to map the site. The year 2005 saw the start of a large-scale excavation. Unfortunately, no wood from the ship survived. The assumption is that the ship capsized with the cargo down and the hull on top. That is also the most likely scenario to explain why no wood has been preserved underwater. As they excavated further they found some objects identifiable as amphoras and jars probably used for the transportation of wine or olive oil, but also cups and the fishing gear of the ships’ crew. When Philip Betancourt, a Minoan pottery expert, examined the ceramics he was convinced that the pottery all originated from the East of Crete. And, that the pieces of pottery came from the same period, the so-called Middle Minoan period around 1800-1700 B.C. In total Hadjidaki’s team brought to the surface some 209 ceramic vessels, of which 80 are nearly whole.

Collage of Minoan fresco, example Minoan ship and pottery

Collage of Minoan fresco, example Minoan ship and pottery

Coast-hopping Minoan seafarers

Based on what has been found, the ruminants of the wreck seem to indicate that the shipwreck has been busy with coast-hopping journeys. Imagine a small coastal vessel making stops along the coast of Crete. It also indicates that for local traders sea trade was much easier than crossing the mountains from north to south or east to west.

Hadjidaki and her team completed the excavations at the end of September 2009 feeling accomplished to have found the first and only Minoan shipwreck to date. Moreover, it contained the largest complete clay vessel cargo ever excavated from the Middle Minoan IIB period. And even more valuable, it provides information about the seafaring Minoan people and their success as traders.

clay seal Minoan ship found on Pseira

clay seal Minoan ship found on Pseira

A marvellous glimpse into a time when the Minoans first started building their palaces

It really gives a glimpse into a time when the Minoans first started building their palaces. The shipwreck’s cargo not only indicates local trade on the eastern Mediterranean shores, it also validates other archaeological findings. Trade was done by sea.  Minoan ships were capable of importing many of the raw materials required to fuel the development of one of Europe’s first great civilizations. This was all done by sea.

How the ships looked we don’t know exactly although there are frescoes and some old stone seals that depict images of different types of ships. The Minoans traded throughout the Mediterranean. The Minoans were good seamen, seafaring was in their blood. The Minoans maintained trade routes with Egypt, Syria, and the Greek mainland. The routes may even have extended as far west as Italy and Sicily. The world really should thank Elpida Hadjidaki-Marder for having the instinct and knowledge to look for the Pseira ship. Finding and excavating the first example of a Minoan vessel shed light on a hidden world that could change our perceptions of the capabilities and sophistication of ancient Greek civilizations.

Unveiling the Hidden Gems: Exploring Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations

Discover the Road Less Traveled

Are you tired of the same old tourist destinations? Yearning for a truly unique and authentic travel experience? Look no further! At Traveljus, we believe that the real magic happens when you venture off the beaten path. Join us as we unveil the hidden gems that await you in the lesser-known corners of the world.

Leave behind the crowded tourist traps and embrace the unknown. From quaint villages nestled amidst breathtaking landscapes to vibrant local markets overflowing with cultural richness, our team of passionate explorers has curated a list of off-the-beaten-path destinations that will leave you awe-inspired.

Go beyond Your Comfort Zone

Stepping outside your comfort zone is where the real adventure begins. Our off-the-beaten-path destinations offer a chance to immerse yourself in the heart and soul of a place, where you can connect with locals and truly understand their way of life.

From trekking through remote jungles to sailing across untouched turquoise waters, our carefully crafted itineraries will take you on a journey of discovery and self-growth. Embrace the unknown, challenge your limits, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Escape the Ordinary

Are you tired of the usual tourist crowds? Seeking solitude and tranquility during your travels? Our off-the-beaten-path destinations promise an escape from the ordinary. Experience the bliss of having ancient ruins all to yourself or relax on pristine beaches with only the sound of crashing waves as your companion.

Traveljus is here to help you break free from the mundane and embark on extraordinary adventures. Explore hidden waterfalls, picturesque hiking trails, and charming local hideaways that are waiting to be discovered.