Simos Tsapnidis, as a photographer, created thousands of images,

that come, for the first time,  into the public consciousness..

Simos Tsapnidis  Official (ΑΡΧΕΙΟ ΣΙΜΟΥ ΤΣΑΠΝΙΔΗ),  was established with the primary goal to preserve and protect Tsapnidis’s work, as an astonishing material, precious for the study of European history. For almost 20 years (1956-1975), with his camera, he recorded social and cultural behaviours, artistic movements and historical events, which occurred in the space (domain) of Europe. The estate is continuing the legacy of Simos, through sales and licensing, exhibitions, publishing and the development of a comprehensive catalog as a reference for the totality of his life's work.

 

He was born in Sinope (Σινώπη) of Asia Minor, on the 12th March 1919 and grew up in Drapetsona (in Piraeus, Greece) (Δραπετσώνα, Πειραιάς, Ελλάδα).

He never went to school, because he was forced to work from childhood,  yet, he learnt (self-taught) to read and write.

As an adolescent he learnt the craft of the shoemaker.

In 1945 he rented a shack at Psyrres (Ψυρρή) as his residence and workshop. There, very soon, started gathering daily, the first Greek existentialists, creating incredible situations: Frenzied parties dancing ‘swing’, evenings of improvised poetry, eating for inspiration yoghurt with herrings, but also with all night long philosophical discussions.

 

The legendary hut of Simos was named ‘Flying Shack’,

since crumbling (ready to fall) as it happened to be, it gave you the impression that from moment to moment it would be lifted by the wind.

 

The Flying Shack became a poor mother (Mother Poverty) for many significant  artists. Here they received hospitality  (some for many months), poets like Nikos Karouzos (Νίκος Καρούζος) and Thomas Gorpas (Θωμάς Γκόρπας). Here stayed for a long time the visual artist Panos Koutroumbousis (Πάνος Κουτρουμπούσης) who also became the drum player in the first youth band, made up of students, that ever was in the world. The band PJC was formed in 1953, in the Flying Shack of Simos, from students and young existentialists, who played the rock of the time (swing) and improvised with cooking pans and a (dilapidated) piano that was falling apart.  But the shack was a hospitable space also for every foreign traveller who would come to Greece. Here it seems the poet Jacques Prèvert slept for a period, since some poems in his own handwriting and sketches were found, in the material, which was rescued and had sometimes embellished the walls of the shack. In the first half of the 1950s, Danes, Swedes, Americans, Britons and many others who visited the shack, discovered there a place to sleep free of charge and live for a while with the existentialists of Greece. In 1954 the police closes the shack, charging Simos and the existentialists with vagrancy.

 

 Simos is harassed by the policemen and decides to become self-exiled. Finally on the 1st September 1956, he departs to make the Round Tour of Europe.

On the 8th April 1957, “Liberation” has him on the front page next to Queen Elizabeth. He travelled almost through the entire Europe, working wherever he could find a wage and living in wretched conditions. On 27th August 1967, wearing an ancient Greek mantle, he gives a speech at Hyde Park (Hyde Park Corner), in support of Freedom, and later sends an Open Letter to the Dictators of Greece.*

Simos had the passion of photography. In the period of his self-exile (1956 – 1975), he took thousands of photos. He functioned (operated) like an astonishing recorder, leaving us material which is precious for the study of European history, (especially that of youth). For almost 20 years, with his camera, he left an imprint (recorded) of social and cultural behaviours, artistic movements and historical events, which occurred in the space (domain) of Europe. Simos Tsapnidis has been a benefactor of Europe, dedicating his youth for this work. And we must admire him all the more, for what he did, which is so precious, he achieved without resources, saving minimal amount of money, with jobs on foot, whenever and wherever he could.

He died destitute on the 9th June 1999 in Athens.

 

* The Colonels’ Junta took over in Greece on 21 April 1967, after a coup.

 

 

 

 

Simos, willed his entire estate of more than one hundred thousand  black-and-white negatives—, documents, art objects, writings, and archives-  to the journalist and writer, Manolis Daloukas.