The images show cork factories from the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries, as well as the works for gathering cork, with historical and other, more contemporary images. Overall, it is the start of documentary research into a photographic heritage that has considerable value for the conservation of the ethnographic, economic, cultural, urban-planning and landscape memory around the world of the cork.

They photographs are expected to be uploaded to the University of Girona Library’s DUGi page, for public consultation. For now, we are publishing a selection of the documented images in low resolution. For accessing the photographs, following the conditions of the cession on the part of its authors or owners, contact the Chair of Cork Studies: catedra.suro@udg.edu

The photographs in La Jonquera come from two main sources:

The former ACEJ (Cultural and Sport Association Jonquerenca) archive, today housed in the town council building. 

Photographs taken by Ramon Boix, one of the documentalists in Albera, and images from the author’s family archive:

In Maçanet de Cabrenys, Pere Roura, a well-known resident, provided us with some of his own photographs and images of old cork factories with descriptors.

Artemi Bellés, a professional photographer from Espolla, dedicated part of his life to creating photographic reports for important cork factories in Cassà de la Selva, and especially for Francisco Oller SA in the1990s. The artistic perspectives are specially interesting.

In Agullana, Enric Tubert, he former director of the magazine El Tap de Suro (1985-1992), has provided us with several series from the same author, including various historical sources illustrating activity in this municipality, one of the epicentres and pioneers of the industry.

Finally, the photojournalist Robin Townsend, the author of ethnographic photographs on various agricultural activities in Alt Empordà, the farms, the Pyrenees and the Barcelona periphery, has handed us the series on cork, not just on work in forests but also on transformation and commercialisation (1970s and 1980s).