The Light of Gdynia

Gdynia City Museum
08.02.2026 – 10.01.2027
Vernissage: 07.02.2026, godz. 18:00

The Light of Gdynia is a unique journey through post-war Gdynia, preserved in unique photographs taken by Bolesława and Edmund Zdanowski. The exhibition will present the achievements of the organisers of the Photography High School of the Workers’ Universities Association, which was transformed into the Photography Department at the State High School of Fine Arts in Gdynia Orłowo.

Edmund Zdanowski came from Vilnius, where he was born and raised. He was a student of the famous photographer Jan Bułhak, in whose studio he worked and apprenticed. Bułhak, known as the ‘father’ of Polish photography, had a great influence on the work of both Zdanowskis, who belonged to the Vilnius Photo Club he ran. Even before the war, Zdanowski was an instructor at the Department of Artistic Photography at Stefan Batory University. From 1934, he and his wife ran their own photography studio in Vilnius, which was burned down in 1944 during the fighting for the city. Edmund joined the army, where he worked at the Film Studio of the First Army of the Polish Army.

Gdynia City Museum has over 700 negatives and over 400 positive prints by Edmund Zdanowski in its collection. Most of them depict Gdynia – the port and the city – in the first two decades after World War II.

Project team

Curators: Dariusz Małszycki, Leszek Żurek

Exhibition design and graphic design: Grzegorz Domowicz  – DADO Armand Dakszewicz Grzegorz Domowicz spółka cywilna

In collaboration with: Rafał Frankowski, Marzena Markowska, Olga Lewandowska, Michał Miegoń, Karin Moder, Ewa Siwek, Patrycja Wójcik,  

Honorary patronage

Partners

Media partners