Kegham Djeghalian Jr. Explores Grandfather's Gaza Photo Archive Through Disrupted Histories

In 2018, Kegham Djeghalian Jr. stumbled upon his grandfather's extensive photographic collection, sparking a research endeavor that would span several years. His grandfather, Kegham Djeghalian, established Gaza's inaugural photography studio, Photo Kegham, in 1944 and captured the essence of Gazan life until the 1970s. Born in 1915 in what is now Armenia, he endured the Armenian Genocide before relocating to Gaza. The archive, which remains untouched, contains negatives, photographs, and documents from the periods of British mandate, Egyptian governance, and Israeli occupation. Djeghalian Jr. adopted a "para-archaeology" methodology, categorizing the materials into four themes. Initially intended for Cairo Photo Week 2021, the project seeks to establish a digital archive of Kegham's work, contributing to the preservation of Gaza's visual heritage. An essay detailing this work will be published in Afterall Issue 57, following a presentation on 29 January 2024.