By Eleni Sampani

“Princess Soraya didn’t like people approaching or photographing her, but my father managed to break the ice,” says Giorgos Poulidis, son of the well-known photojournalist Christos Poulidis (1926-2000), referring to a 1960 photograph of the then-Princess of Iran standing next to one of the island’s pelicans. This photo is included in the exhibition “Spotlights on Mykonos 1959-1979.” 

The exhibition, curated by Giorgos Poulidis and held at Mykonos’ Municipal Art Gallery (until September 30th, 2024), features 60 photographs of historical and iconic figures, artists, intellectuals, and members of the Greek and international political and business elite who visited the island during that time.

The talented photojournalist had a unique ability to inspire trust in the people he captured, and they, in turn, had no qualms about posing for his camera, his son notes. Among them were Greek statesman Konstantinos Karamanlis, a frequent visitor to the island and always warmly welcomed by the residents, as well as Melina Mercouri and her husband, Jules Dassin, who can be seen on a boat enjoying their vacation in one of the photographs. One particularly captivating photo shows composer Stavros Xarchakos with journalist Dimitris Liberopoulos during a rehearsal of the musical performance “Children of the Universe” (1972) on the beach of Ornos. Christos Poulidis frequently photographed Aristotle and Alexander Onassis, who were regular visitors to Mykonos during that time.

Christos Poulidis and his brothers carried on the family tradition, following in the footsteps of their father, Petros Poulidis, who is considered the first photojournalist in Greece. Christos Poulidis’ provided news agencies with photographs from his office in Kolonaki, in the heart of Athens. According to his son, his work stands out because, in some ways, he “predicted” the rise of Mykonos as a tourist destination. In the late 1950s, he decided to open an office on the island, and as the only photojournalist there, he documented a different Mykonos – simpler and more romantic than the one we know today.

The concept for this exhibition, which is co-organized with the Municipality of Mykonos, came from the digitization of the artist’s archive, now managed by his son. Another exhibition, this time in Athens, will be announced in the coming months.