Social historian Leonard Janiszewski and his partner, photographer, Effy Alexakis, who have chronicled the Greek-Australian experience, have secured an opportunity to house their vast collection at the State Library of New South Wales. Alexakis’s photographs are held in major institutions and Janiszewski, also a curator at Macquarie University Art Gallery, has held prestigious history fellowships.

The pair will gift their extensive archive to the Mitchell Library of the State Library of NSW. Spanning over four decades, their collection includes interviews, rare photographs, and historical documents, capturing the rich heritage of Greek-Australian life and migration.

The State Library of NSW is a premier institution for research into Australian history and one of the oldest libraries in the nation. The Mitchell Library is the largest and oldest heritage-listed special collection and research library focused on the nation’s history. Since 1982, documentary photographer Alexakis and historian, Janiszewski, have explored the Greek-Australian experience through their project and archive, In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians.

The idea of gifting their work began in 2019, when they discussed it with Richard Neville, head of the Mitchell Library’s Outreach Division. Janiszewski recalled, “The discussion about gifting our archive to the [State Library] began with Richard [Neville] back in 2019 – Richard signalling the Library’s strong desire to acquire our collection by providing a letter of understanding that ‘in principle’ the State Library would like to accept our archive into their holdings.”

The State Library of NSW wants the entire collection, with all its elements, rather than only taking material related to NSW. “As our archive is national and international and diverse, the synergy between all the material would be lost if our archive was broken up,” said Janiszewski.

Janiszewski told Neos Kosmos that to ensure the archive is “preserved and accessible for future generations, philanthropic funding is needed to digitize its substantial analogue component.” The project includes a significant volume of pre-digital material requiring conservation and digital conversion.

In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians has grown to become, as Neville said, “the best archive of its kind in the country.” “Its depth and breadth of material is now too exceptional for both of us to manage, preserve, and make accessible. It has been collected and overwhelmingly maintained through our own limited incomes,” Janiszewski told Neos Kosmos.

Janiszewski added that the pair, now nearing their 70s, feel it is necessary to pass on the responsibility of managing and preserving the collection.

“Given our age, management and preservation of the collection would ultimately have to become the responsibility of others, younger and better equipped and skilled to do so, within a cultural institution capable of doing so. We personally carried a moral and ethical responsibility of ensuring that all the stories we had gathered – all those voices and photos from the past – would have a life beyond our own, for future generations: this was always the intention,” Janiszewski said.

Janiszewski said that the response has been generous so far, with funding being kick started by the Keldoulis family (descendants of Mick Adams [Joachim Tavlaridis] “the creator of the modern milk bar concept, and a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. But we still have quite a way to go to reach our target”.

The goal is to raise $300,000 said Janiszewski. “Digitisation and databasing is expensive, hence the need to attract philanthropic funding,” he added.

“The digitisation effort will safeguard the legacy of Greek-Australian contributions to Australia’s social and cultural fabric, making it accessible to researchers, students, and the wider community.”

All donations go to the State Library of NSW and are tax-deductible.

For more information or to donate, visit: State Library of NSW Donation

Email inquiries: foundation@sl.nsw.gov.au

Please note that contributions should be specified for the ‘In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians’ National Project Archive Digitisation Fund.

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