Title: Στιγμιότυπα. 12 ιστορίες από την Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος μέσα από τον φακό του K. Μεγαλοκονόμου/ Snaphots. 12 stories from the Bank of Greece through the lens of K. Megalokonomou
Author: Collective
Publisher: Bank of Greece (Centre for Culture, Research and Documentation)
Year of publication: 2018
Number of pages: 120
Dimensions: 25 x 16 cm
Book type: Exhibition catalogue
ISBN: 978-960-7032-89-8
About the catalogue
The bilingual publication entitled “Στιγμιότυπα. 12 ιστορίες από την Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος μέσα από τον φακό του κ. Μεγαλοκονόμου / Snaphots. 12 stories from the Bank of Greece through the lens of K. Megalokonomou” is the accompanying catalogue to the namesake periodical exhibition at the Museum of the Bank of Greece; an exhibition organized by the Centre for Culture, Research & Documentation of the Bank in October 2018.
Many of the photos taken by Megalokonomou, one of the accredited photographers to cover presentations and events at the Bank of Greece between 1947 and 1992, inevitably lend themselves to interpretation at a deeper level or in a wider context, providing a broader picture of post-war Greece till the early 1990s. The exhibition presents photographs taken by K. Megalokonomou at various economic, political, social or cultural events of the Bank: General Meetings of shareholders; Governor Georgios Mantzavinos’s crucial trip to Washington (1949-1950); the announcement of the “new Drachma” by Finance Minister Spyridon Markezinis (1954); the farewell reception in honour of Elias Venezis, newly elected to the Academy of Athens (1957); the presentation of awards to the winners of the short story competitions organised by the Bank’s staff magazine O Kyklos (1961, 1963); the art exhibitions held at the premises of the Bank of Greece Employees’ Union (1947, 1951); the reception hosted by Governor Xenophon Zolotas in honour of the ravishing Elizabeth Taylor (1958); meetings between the King and representatives of business associations at the Bank’s Head Office (1958-1966); a private slide projection of “luminous charts” for Premier Konstantinos Karamanlis (1962); the lottery bond issues during the military dictatorship (1969, 1970); the action taken by Panagis Papaligouras and Xenophon Zolotas to boost economic recovery after the fall of the military dictatorship (1974); the appointment of Gerasimos Arsenis to the helm of the Bank of Greece and his subsequent appointment as National Economy Minister (1981, 1982).
Each event comes with a narrative text, which attempts to expand the event’s time frame.