Portrait of an era - Photographs by Eugenio Goglio (1865–1926)

Bergamo, April 7, 2026 – Between the late nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth, the Valle Brembana, in the province of Bergamo, underwent a period of quiet transformation: new industrial initiatives accelerated economic development, reshaped the landscape, and redefined social roles. This transition is conveyed not only through written records, but also through the faces, gazes and gestures captured by photography.

From this visual memory comes Portrait of an Era. Photographs by Eugenio Goglio (1865–1926), an exhibition promoted and organised by the Municipality of Bergamo and the Museo delle Storie di Bergamo, open to the public from April 11 to July 19, 2026 at the Sestini Museum of Photography, located in the Convent of San Francesco in Bergamo.

The exhibition is supported by SIAD Fondazione Sestini, with contributions from the Province of Bergamo and the Consorzio del Bacino Imbrifero Montano del Lago di Como and the Brembo and Serio rivers.

The exhibition, curated by Roberta Frigeni, Nicholas Fiorina and Daniela Pacchiana of the Museo delle Storie di Bergamo, centres on Eugenio Goglio (1865–1926), a multifaceted figure from the Valle Brembana, marking the centenary of his death.

Born in Piazza Brembana and trained in Milan at the Brera Academy and the Higher School of Applied Arts for Industry, Goglio returned to the valley in 1889 where, alongside his artistic practice, he became the photographer of the area. His hallmark was portraiture: individual, couple, and group portraits, taken in the studio or outdoors, always meticulously composed, almost like a theatrical set. Portraiture thus became not only an artistic expression, but also a means of anthropological and social enquiry, at a time when the valley’s natural landscape was beginning to show the first signs of twentieth-century human transformation.

The exhibition is built around this photographic production. More than 140 black-and-white images depict the Valle Brembana through its landscapes, faces and evolving character, offering a rich portrayal of a region viewed through the attentive eye of the valley’s “Genio”. What emerges is a collective portrait of the community during the Belle Époque, when the isolation of the upper valley was gradually overcome by the arrival of the railway, and the local economy began to show early signs of industrialisation linked to the exploitation of the Brembo River’s water resources.

The exhibition opens with a video focusing on the life of the “Genio” and tracing the key stages in the recognition and preservation of his photographic archive up to 2026: from the acquisition of the collection by the Province of Bergamo in 1981 to its deposit in the Sestini Photographic Archive in 2018; from the special issue of Domenica edited by Marco Dell’Oro in 2023 to the exhibition Portrait of an Era in 2026.

The display is then divided into five sections:

“A River, a Valley”, dedicated to the postcard-like landscapes of the Valle Brembana: from Sedrina to Zogno, from San Giovanni Bianco to San Pellegrino, and from Piazza Brembana to Carona. 

The journey continues with “A Valley in Pose”, featuring studio and outdoor portraits: a veritable atlas of Brembana faces set against painted backdrops.

“Women and ‘Regiùre’”, presenting a gallery of female figures, often portrayed wearing hats — a symbol of authority in an era marked by depopulation resulting from male emigration to Switzerland and France.

“The Genio in Pose”, showcasing Eugenio Goglio’s self-portraits, revealing both his artistic awareness and his deep connection to the community. This section also includes scenic backdrops painted by Goglio, a charcoal self-portrait, and 17 original documents from his heirs (Lionella Licini, Cristiana and Rossella Oldrati).

The exhibition concludes with “An Era in Motion”, which features images of automobiles, hotels and restaurants — evidence of a valley opening up to tourism, particularly in San Pellegrino Terme. This momentum towards modernity culminates in the arrival of the railway in 1926, the year of Goglio’s death. This section is further enriched by a video dedicated to Eugenio Goglio and his son Fulvio, produced in 2021 by the Museo delle Storie di Bergamo.

All the photographs come from the Eugenio Goglio Collection, comprising 3,069 original glass plate negatives in gelatin silver bromide, acquired by the Province of Bergamo in 1981 and deposited in 2018 in the climate-controlled facilities of the Sestini Museum of Photography, where visitors can also explore the photographic techniques and equipment of Goglio’s time.

The exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Municipal Library of Piazza Brembana and the Valle Brembana Historical and Cultural Centre “Felice Riceputi”, aims to highlight one of the most valuable collections within the Sestini Photographic Archive, returning to the public a heritage of outstanding artistic and documentary significance.

On the occasion of the exhibition, the Museum also renews its collaboration with the Italian Touring Club through the “Aperti per voi” initiative. Every weekend, Touring Club volunteers will provide a special welcome to visitors.

The exhibition design is by Alessandro Bettonagli Entertainment Architecture, while the multimedia installations are developed by Engineering Associates.

The exhibition will remain open to the public until July 19 and will be accompanied by a rich programme of events. Among the first scheduled activities is a guided tour on April 12 at 16:00, with the special participation by Cristiana and Rossella Oldrati, descendants of Eugenio Goglio .