The CVAR is happy to announce the receipt of a new photographic collection. It includes 505 colour slides taken in the late 1950s through to the end of the 1960s by Taylor Garrison Belcher. Belcher was the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus from 1964-1969, and before that, the Consul and Consul General in Nicosia from 1957-1960. The collection includes many photographs of Kyrenia and the surrounding area, but also of Famagusta, Nicosia, Paphos and other areas. While many pictures are of nature, monuments and popular tourist destinations, other photographs capture significant moments in history such as the return of Makarios from exile in 1959. The images that caught my attention the most, however, were the ones of everyday life and local activities such as weddings, craft production, festivals, picnics and barbeques. There is great variety in the subject matter and I am sure it will be a pleasure for researchers and casual observers alike to explore this collection. We are very grateful to Taylor and Anthony Belcher for donating their parents’ photographs to us here at the CVAR and we will do our best to preserve and promote them. All this said, the cataloguing and digitization process can take some time, but nonetheless keep an eye on our website for the Taylor & Edith Belcher Collection. We will try not to keep you waiting for too long.
Photographs from the new collection:
