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Adolfo Porry-Pastorel, father of paparazzi, gets Rome retrospective

exhibition · 2026-04-27

A new exhibition at Palazzo Braschi | Museo di Roma celebrates Adolfo Porry-Pastorel (1888–1960), the little-known pioneer of photojournalism and precursor to the paparazzi. Curated by Enrico Menduni, 'Adolfo Porry-Pastorel – L’altro sguardo. Nascita del fotogiornalismo in Italia' runs until 24 October 2021. Over 80 photographs from the Archivio storico Luce, the Museo di Roma’s own archive, and collections such as Farabola, Vania Colasanti, and Fondazione Turati trace his career from the 1910s to the 1940s. Porry-Pastorel founded the photo agency V.E.D.O. (Visioni Editoriali Diffuse Ovunque) and captured both celebratory and backstage images of Benito Mussolini, as well as Italian leisure, fashion, and crime. Menduni describes him as a 'great narrator of his and our time, agile, intuitive, visionary, without genre boundaries,' whose century-old photos remain strikingly relevant in today’s fast-paced media landscape.

Key facts

  • Adolfo Porry-Pastorel (1888–1960) is considered the father of paparazzi photography.
  • He founded the photo agency V.E.D.O. (Visioni Editoriali Diffuse Ovunque).
  • The exhibition 'Adolfo Porry-Pastorel – L’altro sguardo' is curated by Enrico Menduni.
  • It is hosted at Palazzo Braschi | Museo di Roma until 24 October 2021.
  • Over 80 photographs are on display from the Archivio storico Luce, Museo di Roma, Farabola, Vania Colasanti, and Fondazione Turati.
  • Porry-Pastorel documented both the propaganda and backstage of Benito Mussolini's regime.
  • His work also covered Italian leisure, fashion, and crime from the 1910s to the 1940s.
  • Menduni calls his photos 'eccentric, brilliant, interesting' and 'extraordinarily current.'

Entities

Artists

  • Adolfo Porry-Pastorel
  • Enrico Menduni

Institutions

  • Palazzo Braschi | Museo di Roma
  • Archivio storico Luce
  • Archivio Fotografico Storico del Museo di Roma
  • Farabola
  • Vania Colasanti
  • Fondazione Turati
  • V.E.D.O. – Visioni Editoriali Diffuse Ovunque
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Roma
  • Italy
  • Vittorio Veneto
  • Castel San Pietro Romano
  • Piazza di San Pantaleo, 10
  • Piazza Navona, 2

Sources