The Bear’s Den Gallery of Kutztown University on 16 November 2023, the night of the ‘finissage’ of the exhibition of unpublished WW I photographs curated by Kutztown senior Kiran Sullivan.
In November 2023 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania hosted a stunning photographic exhibition: Unseen Scenes from World War I: Unpublished Images of Italy’s Alpine Front, curated by Kiran Sullivan (Kutztown ’24). The digitized images in this show represent just 0.013 percent of the photos in the personal WW I albums of Prince Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi (1886-1955), who fought for the entire duration of the conflict, after Italy in May 1915 joined on the side of the Allies. The original albums are found today in the Casino dell’Aurora in Rome. Kiran Sullivan’s show focused on scenes of combat in Italy’s Adamello—Presanella Alps.
Uncaptioned image of Italian officers from 1915 war album of Prince Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi, who is standing in foreground furthest at right. Collection HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
“The Alpine Front was an unforgiving battleground”, writes Kiran Sullivan in her curator’s statement / wall label for the Kutztown show, “where the natural world and the consequences of warfare conspired against the Italian soldiers. The terrain offered little to no shelter or refuge for these soldiers. They had to rely on makeshift fortifications in the unforgiving landscape. These trenches were essential for defense and respite from the unyielding artillery barrages.” The punishing Alpine Front, as Sullivan observes, also called for soldiers to develop skills in mountain climbing, skiing, and other high-altitude tactics.
Caption in hand of Prince Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi: “Rifugio Garibaldi.” Collection HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
What is more, Sullivan notes “the climate was equally brutal for the soldiers: freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, and avalanches. These conditions affected the soldiers physically as well as mentally. They faced the cold as well as the constant threat of enemy attacks. Trenches…were cut into the sides of mountain, in an effort to gain the high ground against the enemy.” The images in the exhibition amply illustrate these extreme aspects. In the end, as Sullivan points out, the Alpine Front claimed the lives of 600,000 Italians and 400,000 Austrians.
Caption in hand of Prince Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi (translated): “20 September 1917: Cannon of the French navy at Malga Verdignano.” Collection HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
The photographer himself is of considerable interest. Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi was a direct descendant (9th great-grandson) of the late 16th century pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni (1572-1585), who introduced the Gregorian Calendar. A 1910 graduate of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, in 1912 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the cavalry of Italy’s Territorial Army. In the war years 1915-1918, Boncompagni Ludovisi served as a lieutenant, again in the cavalry, of the II Corpo d’Armata. He saw action mostly on Italy’s Alpine front, but also in France, for which he was highly decorated. His combat albums contain about 900 photos in all, most dated and annotated. His great-grandson and namesake Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi, since 2018 Prince of Piombino, now heads the family.
Caption in hand of Prince Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi (translated): “Carsano Hospital—Rifugio Garibaldi”. The date is 1917. Collection HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
Following World War I, Boncompagni Ludovisi was made President of the Bank of Rome (1923-1927) and then served as Governor of Rome (1928-1935) under Mussolini. He subsequently withdrew from high-profile public life, but from 1943 at first covertly and then openly provided valuable service to the Allies in WW II. You can read a detailed assessment of his WW II activities here.
The exhibition’s curator, Kiran Sullivan (Kutztown ’24), at center, with internship supervisor prof T. Corey Brennan (Rutgers) and faculty mentor prof Pierette Kulpa (Kutztown, and an advisory board member of the Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi).
About the curator: Kiran Sullivan (Kutztown University ‘24) is completing an undergraduate degree in Art History and minoring in Photography and Weaving at Kutztown University. She is also the student Galleries manager at Kutztown. In summer 2023 she was part of the internship program of the Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi, helping to work on the PROVENANCE ARCHIVIO LUDOVISI ONLINE (PABLO) database, as well as studying the Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi Alpine Front photos. She writes “I thank T. Corey Brennan and HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi for this opportunity to work with these archived photographs and bring them to light. I am honored to have been part of this project and hope to do more with these photographs.”
Caption in hand of Prince Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi (expanded and translated): “Exercises of the 28th Army Corps.” The date is summer 1917. Collection HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi 
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