About the museum

The Museum of Photography Kazanlak is the only one of its kind in Bulgaria.

Established in 2015 with the aim to present the history and development of photography, both worldwide and on its native land.

The museum is a municipal cultural institute within the meaning of the Law on the Protection and Development of Culture, and Kazanlak Municipality has been supporting the development of the institute for nearly ten years.

Hundreds of exhibits – photographic equipment, supplies and materials, archival photographs, books and documents – have been added to the museum’s collections.

In the permanent exposition there is a collection of box cameras from France, Italy and Germany, collections of film cameras – Smyana, Kiev, Zenit, Beirette, Nikon, Fed, Polaroid, etc., Kodak and Agfa cameras from different periods, as well as spy cameras from the Czech Republic and Germany from the period 1930-1940.

Our highlights are : the first and only  Made – In Bulgaria  Edelweiss camera from 1958 , and the other is  a camera that had been used by  Nikola Vaptsarov – a well know and beloved bulgarian poet.

The collection makes a journey chronologically from the oldest camera, donated from France in the period around 1890, which worked with glass plates, through the period in which cameras working with Laika format film gradually entered the market, till today’s digital cameras, displayed for contrast and comparison.

The museum has an extensive collection of books and magazines on the history of photography and filmmaking, books and magazines with tips on using different types of cameras and advice on taking, composing, copying or printing photographs, also several foreign language books with a content of advices for amateur photographers. Many albums by professional photographers and from different exhibitions happened here, some of them of a competitive nature are also part of the museum’s collection.

The most valuable possession in this section is a book of instructions for photography from 1904, written by Stoyan Georgiev, which is part of the permanent exhibition.

There are also daguerreotypes and tintypes from the 18th century.

In the spacious hall for temporary exhibitions, there were so far presented over 200 exhibitions of all genres of photography.

The Museum is the organizer of the annual collective exhibition called „Salon of Kazanlak Photographers“.

The Мuseum also hosts book presentations, specialized photographic workshops and lectures, as well as charity campaigns.

In addition to the main building of the Museum, some of the exhibits are located in the house of the Photo-Club “Iskra” – an old Revival-epoque house where the courtyard is suitable for outdoor events.

• • May – September:
  • Monday – Saturday: 9:00 – 18:00
  • October – April:
  • Monday – Saturday: 9:00 – 17:30

• • For adults: 1.00 (€) / 1,96 (BGN)
  • For pupils, students and pensioners: 0,50 (€) / 0,98 (BGN)
  • For people with disabilities and children under 6 years: free
  • Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children): 2.00 (€) / 3,91 (BGN)