A journey into memory through faces, places, and stories of a bygone era, a prime example of vernacular photography. This is what the exhibition “Portraits of a Time” offers, set up at the Museum of Stone and Stoneworkers in Castellavazzo (Longarone – Belluno). The exhibition will be open until the end of March, on weekends from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The exhibition showcases the photographic glass slides of Lorenzo Bergamasco, known as “Modesta,” a photographer and stonecutter born around 1866, whose work managed to crystallize moments of daily life between the end of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century.

**A craftsman and photographer of the past**
Lorenzo Bergamasco, originally from Castellavazzo, primarily operated as a local photographer, capturing the faces of his fellow townspeople and the surrounding landscapes. Like many from Belluno of his time, he shared the profession of stonecutter, tied to the ancient tradition of stone work. His passion for photography led him to document an era when each image was unique, far from the repetition and ease of today’s digital shots.

Some of his descendants, including his grandson Narciso, later emigrated to the United States, contributing to the Belluno diaspora towards New Jersey. Before his passing, Narciso donated about two hundred slides to the Stone and Stoneworkers Association, returning a valuable historical testimony to the community.

**A delicate photographic recovery**
The slides, precursors to photographic film, were in critical condition at the time of their discovery. Mold, scratches, and superficial damage had compromised many images, making it difficult to distinguish the details of the captured subjects. Thanks to the efforts of the Bruto Recalchi Photographic Club, the photographs were recovered through careful scanning and photo retouching, allowing for the creation of typographic prints.

**The exhibition**
The exhibition includes both restored images and some original slides, displayed to show the evolution of the restoration work. The setup at the Museum of Stone and Stoneworkers creates an ideal link between the artisanal tradition of stoneworking and the art of photography, both rooted in the history of Castellavazzo.

The event represents an opportunity to rediscover the value of an era when photographs were more than mere images: true windows to the past, capable of telling stories and preserving identities.

**The exhibition, curated by the Bruto Recalchi Photographic Club of Longarone, is hosted at the Museum of Stone and Stoneworkers, Via Roma 16, loc. Castellavazzo (Longarone, BL). Open until the end of March, on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with a regular entrance ticket of 3 euros that includes the exhibition and the museum.**A journey into memory through faces, places, and stories of a bygone era.