Photographic Collections of Italian Colonialism (1861–1960)

Looking at the Past, Understanding the Present: A School Workshop on Italian Colonialism

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The citizen science project “Photographic Collections of Italian Colonialism (1861–1960)” was created to make historical photographs related to Italian colonialism more accessible and meaningful to the public, while inviting people to help describe and contextualize them.
Through this online platform, researchers, students, and citizens collaborate to identify places, people, and situations portrayed in hundreds of images, and to provide shared descriptions using their own perspectives.

Because of its participatory nature, this project is perfectly suited for use in schools. The collaborative environment of citizen science allows students to experience the historian’s work firsthand: observing sources, describing them, comparing them, and interpreting them critically. In this way, research becomes a shared process where each participant contributes to building collective knowledge.

These photographs tell a complex and often overlooked part of Italian history — the colonial experience between the 19th and 20th centuries. Although these images are valuable documents, they reflect a constructed perspective — that of photographers, institutions, and propaganda — which needs to be analyzed critically to understand the power dynamics, ideologies, and representations that shaped colonial expansion.

By working on these images, the classroom becomes a space for dialogue and investigation of the past, where every student can help “decolonize” knowledge, giving back voice and complexity to what official history has often simplified or erased.

Looking Beyond: Decolonization

Studying colonialism also means understanding decolonization — not only the end of colonial rule and the birth of new independent states, but also the longer and deeper cultural and symbolic process that followed.
By critically analyzing colonial photographs, students can explore the idea of decolonizing the gaze: learning to recognize how colonial photography created visual hierarchies, represented the “other,” and legitimized power.

Through this project, schools can contribute to a shared work of memory that goes beyond the past, encouraging reflection on how colonial legacies still influence today’s language, visual culture, social relations, and collective memory.

Integrating this work into history lessons means not only learning about a key period of Italian history but also fostering active citizenship — helping students develop a critical understanding of the past to better comprehend the present and imagine a fairer, more inclusive future.

Educational Goals

Through the project, students will:
• Take an active role in historical research by helping to describe and transcribe colonial photographs;
• Develop visual literacy skills, learning to “read” historical photographs as primary sources;
• Deepen their understanding of Italian colonialism (c. 1861–1960) — its political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions;
• Reflect critically on the links between images, power, and memory, and how colonial history continues to shape today’s world;
• Work collaboratively, developing autonomy, responsibility, and teamwork skills;
• Reflect on how language shapes our perception of images, events, and people.

How to Use the Project in Class

Here are some suggested steps that can be adapted according to time and class organization.
The project is designed for upper secondary schools, but can be adjusted for other levels.

1. Introducing the Context
   • Dedicate one or half a lesson to introducing Italian colonialism — main events, territories, political and economic motivations, systems of control, and its impact both in the colonies and in Italy.
   • Present the project: explain that students will act as “researchers” helping describe and contextualize archival photographs.
   • Discuss why old photographs are important as historical sources — what they show, what they hide, and what biases they may contain.

2. Description and Transcription Activities
   • In small groups, students access the online platform and choose one photograph from the available workflows.
   • They complete the tasks required for that photo (description, transcription, etc.).
   • Save the photograph to their collection to return to it later for discussion.
   • After completing their tasks, ask students to reflect:
   “What message does this image seem to convey? What power relationships, cultural models, or views of colonized/colonizer does it suggest?”
   • Students write a short critical note: what remains unknown, what questions arise, and what other sources could help.

3. Discussion and Comparison
   • Compare group results in class: show different photos, discuss varied interpretations, and explore why they differ.
   • Lead a guided discussion:
   “How do these images shape a particular vision of colonialism? What distortions or omissions might they contain?”
   • Connect the discussion to the present — how Italian colonialism still leaves traces in culture, language, and visual representations.

4. Focus on Decolonization
   • Each group selects one or two photos previously analyzed.
   • This time, they ask: “What idea of Africa, of ‘the other,’ or of Italy does this image communicate?”
   • Guide the discussion with questions such as:
   – What visual elements show power or subordination?
   – Who took the photo, and for whom? What’s visible and what’s left out?
   • Brainstorm: where can we still find traces of colonialism in today’s Italy (street names, language, museums, media, public imagination)?
   • Students find concrete examples — street names, monuments, artworks, ads, news articles — and document them with images or short texts.
   • Create a collaborative (digital or paper) map titled “Traces of Colonialism in Italy.”
   • Final discussion: How can we “decolonize” our gaze, language, and collective memory today?

5. Producing a Final Work
   Depending on time, students can produce a final project — a digital poster, multimedia presentation, or short essay — summarizing:
   • The photo analyzed;
   • Their description/transcription;
   • Their critical reflections on its content and historical meaning.
   Optionally, the class can organize an exhibition of their work to share with others.

Practical Tips

• Before starting, ensure each student/group has access to a device (PC or tablet) with internet to connect to Zooniverse. For minors, teachers should provide their own credentials.
• Show examples of the tasks students will do in the description and transcription workflows.
• Connect the activity to other subjects — literature (language and propaganda), art (photographic composition), or civic education.
• Encourage continuity: this activity can be part of a larger unit on colonialism and decolonization, or on modern history.

A Chance for Civic Education and PCTO

Exploring Italian colonialism through images and active participation in this project is ideal for Civic Education lessons.
It helps students develop critical thinking, historical awareness, and a sense of citizenship, reflecting on values like equality, respect for diversity, and responsibility toward cultural heritage.

The project also fits perfectly within the **PCTO **(Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l’Orientamento), an Italian program similar to work-based learning or an internship for high school students.
By describing and cataloguing historical photographs, students engage in real historical and archival research, collaborate in a digital environment, and contribute to an international scientific project.

This experience combines historical learning, digital skills, and teamwork, showing how research and culture can interact with active citizenship and technology.

For more information or to collaborate with the project team, please write to: biblioteca.isiao@gmail.com