Seto Historical Photography Collection

Seto girl in traditional costume; a digitally slightly retouched detail of the original photograph focusing on the female figure and her garments. The original photo: Setu neiu rahvariietes (ERM TM Fk 899); Eesti Rahva Muuseum; see links to original and description on the picture's data page.

The virtual collection of the Finno-ugric Dataspace about the culture of Setomaa and the Seto people. The mission of the collection is to connect relevant historical photographs in various private and public collections.

The collection is currently curated by Daniel Antal (early photography), Ieva Pigozne (traditional garments). We are inviting new curators knowledgeable about Setomaa or the Seto culture. In the database, the collection page is Seto Historical Photography Collection (database). The collection is curated by Daniel Antal and Ieva Pigozne; we are inviting new curators familiar with Setomaa or the culture of the Seto people.

In some cases, we provide the original (digitised) items from the original holding collection together with derivate works. The derivate works may include digital retouching and postprocessing to make the photograph more usable as a historical source. In such cases, we make corrections that a contemporary photographer would have done, like removing physical damages on the photographic material, the print, or correcting the overblown highlights or underexposed shadows. Such changes make, for example, the original patterns of a garment more visible for textile research. Sometimes we may crop an original (depicted) item of interest, for example, a detail of a particular garment worn by a figure in the original picture.

In some cases, we appy an improved sharpening mask of the photograph, or slight exposure correction. Such changes are not considered as derivate work, they are part of a postprocessing process that museum archivists often do not have the equipment or time for. These changes provide a more faithful representation of the historical photographic artifact as they were photographed by the museum.

Former Tartu County Museum

From the former Tartu County Museum Photographic Collection (database):

• Seto girl in traditional costume (ERM TM Fk 899); derivative work: Seto girl in traditional costume (photographic detail)
• Woman in Seto traditional costume (ERM TM Fk 899); derivative work: Woman in Seto traditional costume (ERM TM Fk 899, retouched)

Estonian National Museum Photography Collection

• Seto girls in Võõpsus (ERM Fk 213:146)
• Seto men in the village of Võmmorski in Setomaa municipality (ERM Fk 213:146); derivative work: Trouser of a Seto man in the village of Võmmorski in Setomaa municipality (detail)
• Setu bride and groom (ERM Fk 235:25)
• Hilja Praakli in stylized Seto folk costumes (ERM Fk 2992:91)