Decolonizing Photographic Archives

How can we understand the past when history is written by those in power? Can museum photographic archives help reveal hidden stories that are absent from written records? This short book is based on Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert’s inaugural lecture as the 2025–2026 Moa Martinson Visiting Professor at Linköping University. Stylianou-Lambert examines colonial-era photographic archives related to Cypriot archaeology and, through arts-based research, brings to light the overlooked contributions of local Cypriot workers. Workers played a crucial role in archaeological practices but were largely excluded from official accounts. The book also reflects on how colonial legacies and power imbalances continue to shape contemporary technologies, including artificial intelligence.