College de la Sainte Famille Collection
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Abstract
The images in this collection document the history of the Collège de la Sainte Famille in Cairo, Egypt. CSF was founded in 1887 by Casimiro Giacomelli, a priest of the Comboni Missionaries to serve the local population of Helwan (25km south of central Cairo) – Egyptian and foreign, Christian and Muslim. The photographs focus on the staff and students of CSF. The majority are taken during school events and a number during excursions. The first staff portrait dates from 1894. There is also a series of architecture focussed images.
Biographical / Historical
The Collège Sainte Famille (CSF) was founded in 1887 by Casimiro Giacomelli, a priest of the Comboni Missionaries who had previously been posted in Sudan. CSF was a private initiative to serve the local population of Helwan (25km south of central Cairo) – Egyptian and foreign, Christian and Muslim. At the time of its founding, Egypt had a fledgling public education system and several churches established schools with official endorsement. Known today as the Holy Family School, it remains Helwan's oldest and most distinguished school. It has evolved from being an entirely European initiative to being an Egyptian school in all respects. Its administrators, teachers, and pupils hail largely from the local neighborhood, although a few dozen students travel from across the Nile or adjacent neighborhoods to the north. CSF-Helwan carries on as a private institution administered by the Comboni Missionaries.
Arrangement
Collection processed in the order in which it was received.
Scope and Contents
The photographs, which span from the 1890s to the 1990s, focus on the staff and students of the Collège Sainte Famille. The majority are taken during school events - sports days, parades, musical performances and awards ceremonies - and a number during excursions - places visited include Suez, Giza, Saqqara, Alexandria, Fayoum, Mit Rahina, Helwan Observatory, Capritage hot springs, Ezbet El-Walda archaeological site and the Japanese Garden in Helwan (constructed in 1917). The first staff portrait dates from 1894.
There is also a series of architecture focussed images, which document doorways and entrances around Helwan, the school building, surrounding churches, mosques and villas.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
NYU Abu Dhabi holds all copyright and related rights pertaining to this collection. Please contact Akkasah at akkasah@nyu.edu for information regarding information and use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection acquired directly from College de la Sainte Famille.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes and returned to the Collège de la Sainte Famille, Akkasah has retained digital surrogates only. Original caption information, when available, was transcribed into ArchivesSpace. The language of the original captions was retained in the digitisation of both the recto and verso of each photograph.