Carlos G. Vertanessian

Carlos Gabriel Vertanessian is a collector and historian of the earliest photographic images of the Río de la Plata, the daguerreotypes, as well as everything related to pre-photography and the origins of photography in the country and in the world. He has dedicated more than thirty years to the search and investigation of images, chronicles and publications, forming one of the most important specialized collections in Latin America.

He is the author of two books of his specialty: he has published three books:

​

• First Daguerreotypes of Argentina. 1843-1844. Admiral Brown and other portraits of John Elliot (XXXX, 2020 second edition) and Juan Manuel de Rosas.

• The impossible portrait. Image and power in the Río de la Plata (XXXX, 2017),

• Retratos del Plata. Daguerreotype stories. 1839-1859.

 

The last two works were declared of cultural interest by the National Academy of Fine Arts, the Ministry of Culture of La Nación and other institutions. In 2019 he curated the collection of daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes of the National Historical Museum for the edition of the raisonné catalog of collections:

​

• Miniatures. Daguerreotypes. Storage furniture: counters and notaries (XXXX, XXX).

 

He currently performs the same task for the daguerreotype collection of the Enrique Udaondo Museum Complex, work that will integrate a catalog of collections that is in preparation.

Vertanessian is a full member of the Buenos Aires Institute of Numismatics and Antiquities and of the Browniana and Sanmartiniana Academies. In addition, he is a member of the board of The Daguerreian Society (USA) and other historical and photographic associations. He has collaborated in various exhibitions, publications and congresses and published in specialized and outreach magazines, and has been a speaker in the country as well as abroad.

Vertanessian was born in the city of Buenos Aires, where he lives with his wife, and is the father of three daughters. He is an agronomist graduated from the University of Buenos Aires and currently divides his time between researching topics in his specialty and cultural management activities.