Riccardo Carbone was born in 1897 in Naples, the city he will narrate through his ‘viewfinder’ until the year of his death, in 1973. He studied chemistry, but soon he abandoned his studies to pursue his passion: photography.

His photographic production starts at the beginning of the 20th century already: the oldest photographic plates preserved date back the 20s. In this decade, he started his collaboration with the local daily newspaper ‘Il Mattino’, which will become consistent and continuous since the post-war period. He was among the first Italian photo-reporters to be credited as journalist.  

Through his Photo-Agency he produced almost 25.000 photographic reports between 1945 and 1973: the production would increase constantly over the years both in absolute terms (the number of actual reports) and in relative terms, ie the number of negatives for each photographic report, for a total of up to 700.000 images. Moreover, about a thousand photographic plates and prints dating back the period before the Second World War should be added to these images. 

The work of Riccardo Carbone is an actual “images calendar” of the city of Naples, spanning over 50 years: a real treasure chest where we can find Benedetto Croce and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Ernest Hemingway and Igor Stravinskij, Totò, Sofia Loren and Edoardo De Filippo. Along with the ‘stars’ we see the people, the street-urchins, the economic and construction boom of the 60s, the great events, the everyday stories, the sport with all the matches of Napoli football club and his passionate supporters, packing the stands of Ascarelli, Collana and San Paolo stadiums.

The ‘Carbone Photographic Archive’ was awarded as ‘asset of particular historical and cultural interest’ by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage.

For further info:
Censimento fotografia Italia
Wikipedia