From same-sex kisses and men in drag, to nude portraits and children posing with assault rifles, the Arab Image Foundation is replete with startling and sensationalist photographs of the Middle East. But it is the foundation’s thousands of photographs documenting day-to-day activities, neglected traditions and vanished ways of life that make it a unique and fascinating resource. For more than 20 years, the foundation has preserved its archives, published books and organised exhibitions, but its collections have been difficult for the public to access. Now, the launch of a new online platform has made thousands of previously unseen photographs accessible to the world, revealing forgotten moments and untold stories.

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The non-profit foundation was established in Beirut in 1997 to research, protect and preserve the photographic history of North Africa, the Levant and the Gulf. It currently houses more than 500,000 donated negatives and prints. “We are a platform that questions the medium of photography, the practice of photography, the different uses of photography today and pushes the boundaries of what photography is,” explains Marc Mouarkech, the foundation’s managing director. “We try always to push for the creation of new discourses that speak to a contemporary public.”

On the homepage, randomly generated links connect visitors to collections, photographers and images, encouraging new discoveries at every visit. Photographs are also arranged by category and can be sought by keyword, allowing those curious about a particular era, country or subject to explore in depth. Visitors can magnify photographs to uncover hidden details, as well as share images on social media and add their own tags and information to the website. “We want it to be something that gets built by the foundation and the community at the same time,” explains Mouarkech.