UNESCO-recognized royal glass plate negatives on display

BANGKOK, May 22 (TNA) – UNESCO- recognized royal photographic glass plate negatives will be put on display for the first time at an exhibition in Bangkok. Culture Minister, Veera Rojpojnarat said UNESCO has registered 35,427 century-old photographic glass plates and 50,000 original photos, covering a period from 1855-1935 as Memory of the World in Oct last year. The exhibition, entitled “Celebrating the National Glass Plate Negatives Recognised as a Unesco Memory of the World” features 150 reprinted photographs under eight themes including Siam through glass-plate negatives, national symbols, royal ceremonies and historical events, the Kingdom’s development, culture and tradition, historic places, influential people, and Siam and the world. Samples of the original glass-plate negatives will also be on display. The exhibition and other related activities will be held at the National Gallery on Chao Fah Road from May 25 to July 28 from 8.30 am to 7 pm. The gallery is closed on Monday, Tuesday and public holidays. These precious glass plate negatives are the fifth Thai historical record, added to the Memory of the World register. The UNESCO earlier registered four series of Thai documentary heritage. They are the first inscription stone of King Ramkhamhaeng, the historical documents of changing Siam in the reign of King Rama V, the stone inscription in Wat Pho and the Minute Books of the Council of the Siam Society. (TNA)