The Vladimir Simončič – Vlastja Fonds (1946–1956)

Curator: Katarina Jurjavčič

In 1958, Vladimir Simončič gifted the National Museum of Contemporary History his photojournalistic collection and two archival catalogues. Starting on 1 January 1949, Vladimir Simončič was permanently employed as a journalist by the editorial board of Slovenski poročevalec in Ljubljana. He started his profession by chance, on a part-time basis, in October 1946, when he began publishing his first reportages shot with the Contax camera in the illustrated weekly Tovariš. In addition to the Tovariš magazine, Simončič's photos were also published by the Slovenski poročevalec, Tedenska tribuna, Ljudska pravica, Borba and some other newspapers until 1957, when his publications in printed media ceased.

His films were marked with the letter ‘I’ followed by a number: I/1-I/54. The letters then follow in the alphabetical order to the letter ‘Ž’. When he ran out of letters he began labelling films with numbers 1/1 up to 15/54, which amounts to a little more than 40,000 negatives, most of them of the Leica format. Most of the larger formats are 4 × 6 and 6 × 6 cm negatives.

Anchored ship in the port of Trieste. On 5 October 1954, the London Memorandum was signed, making Trieste and Zone A part of Italy. In 1955, the author was awarded the Tomšič Award for this photograph. Black-and-white photograph, 18 × 13.1 cm, inv. no.: VS-f1.
Anchored ship in the port of Trieste. On 5 October 1954, the London Memorandum was signed, making Trieste and Zone A part of Italy. In 1955, the author was awarded the Tomšič Award for this photograph. Black-and-white photograph, 18 × 13.1 cm, inv. no.: VS-f1.
Sculptor Frančišek Smerdu sculpting the Ilegalec statue at the foundry of the artistic cooperative, Ljubljana, 1952. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-9/15/40.
Sculptor Frančišek Smerdu sculpting the Ilegalec statue at the foundry of the artistic cooperative, Ljubljana, 1952. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-9/15/40.
Lung surgery, Topolšica, 1951. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-6/51/6.
Lung surgery, Topolšica, 1951. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-6/51/6.
Spring Day celebrations, pioneers compete with scooters, Ljubljana, May 1952. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-8/8/62.
Spring Day celebrations, pioneers compete with scooters, Ljubljana, May 1952. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-8/8/62.
The departure of the youth labour brigades for the construction of the Šamac–Sarajevo railway line, Ljubljana, 3 July 1947. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-K24/11.
The departure of the youth labour brigades for the construction of the Šamac–Sarajevo railway line, Ljubljana, 3 July 1947. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-K24/11.
Children converse by the side of the road, Kanal ob Soči, 28 May 1948. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-O48/14.
Children converse by the side of the road, Kanal ob Soči, 28 May 1948. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-O48/14.
Volunteer work, building the student campus, Ljubljana, 25 March 1949. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-T14/32.
Volunteer work, building the student campus, Ljubljana, 25 March 1949. Black-and-white negative, Leica, inv. no.: VS-T14/32.