Free admission to cultural treasures: Santa Pola celebrates Tangier exhibition

Tangier Under a Lens

The Santa Pola Sea Museum is hosting an exhibition titled “Tangier under the gaze of Paul Servant”.

The exhibition showcases 40 historical photographs of Tangier captured by Paul Servant – a French military officer and amateur photographer – during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The photographer, who lived in Tangier for a significant part of his life, served in the Colonial Infantry Regiment and was later president of the Propaganda and Tourism Committee of the International Zone, a role in which he promoted Tangier as a tourist destination.

The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Tangier’s transformation during its international period, highlighting the city’s multicultural life through images of the arrival of Europeans, the construction of the railway, iconic buildings, and daily life in the city.

The photographs are part of a larger collection of around 2,000 glass plate negatives that the photographer took, primarily in the 1920s.

This collection was eventually donated to the Institute of Moroccan Studies (TALIM) at the American Legation Museum in Tangier by philanthropist Donald Angus, who had purchased the negatives in the 1970s.

Due to their fragility, many of the glass plates were damaged over time, but starting in 1989, efforts were made to clean, scan, and restore them.

Santa Pola Freebies

Santa Pola has decided to extend free admission to the Sea Museum Museo del Mar and the Santa Pola Aquarium until December 31, 2024.

This move is part of the ongoing celebration of the 40th anniversary of the cultural complex at the Castillo Fortaleza.

By offering free access to these municipal facilities, the initiative aims to attract more visitors and encourage the public to explore the cultural and historical significance of the museum and the aquarium.

The Museo del Mar showcases Santa Pola’s maritime heritage, while the Santa Pola Aquarium, located in the same complex, is the oldest of its kind in the Valencian Community.

Both institutions play key roles in educating the public about marine life and the region’s fishing history.