The photo collection was established since 1910 and collects prints, photographic plates, negatives and positives for a total of about 29,000 images from the late nineteenth century to today. These images are important because they are made by different photographers such as Luigi Montabone, Icilio Calzolari, Giulio Rossi, Guigoni & Bossi, to name but a few, and the techniques, materials and media used. There are, for example, aristotipi, tintypes, albumen prints, silver salt, coal.

Icilio Calzolari, The Courtyard of Ice, 1881

The photographs document the hospital life, ceremonies, activities, events, buildings, in addition to provide valuable technical information on landed property and buildings owned and belonged to the hospital. Among phototypes it has an important significance, the art object owned by the entity as well as some of the most precious documents of the archive.
Particularly interesting for its age, value and implications for historical and iconographic images are also often received through bequests from benefactors and from their private photo albums.

For further reading, see the publication L’occhio clinico. Milano nelle fotografie storiche dell’Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena.