Recognition and legacy
Career and recovery
Emili Godes was recognised during his lifetime for his technical command, artistic sensitivity and ability to work across very different fields. He took part in competitions, exhibitions and juries, published images in specialist magazines and maintained professional relationships with artists, scientists and photographers of his generation.
His legacy, however, became dispersed among institutions, companies, publications and private collections. Since the 1980s, various exhibitions, research projects and heritage collections have helped recover a body of work far broader than what was publicly known for many years.
Awards, competitions and exhibitions
Awards and competitions
| Year | Recognition | Place / organisation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | First prize in the C.B.O. de San José photography competition (medal held by the family). | Barcelona | Documented by family medal |
| 1921 | Prize in the Concurso Fotográfico de la Exposición de Barcelona (motto ‘Montserrat’). | Barcelona | Category not identified |
| 1922–1923 | First prize in the ‘La hermosa España’ competition (Ernemann). | Dresde | Place of judging not recorded |
| 1924 | Prize in the Congregación Mariana de Igualada photography competition. | Igualada | Category not identified |
| 1924 | First prize at the Exposición de Bellas Artes. | Córdoba | Documented (family records) |
| 1925 | Prize in the ‘Jardines de España’ competition (Perfumerías Gal). | — | Place pending |
| 1925 | First prize in the Ateneo Obrero photography competition. | Gijón | Documented (family records) |
| 1926 | Prize in the regional competition organised by Casa Cuyàs. | Barcelona | Category not identified |
| 1926 | Second prize in the Agfa photography competition. | Berlín | Documented (family records) |
| 1927 | Bronze medal at the Salón Español del Foment de les Arts Decoratives for the bromoil print ‘Peixaters’. | Barcelona | Work and award identified |
| 1927 | Honorary prize in the Concurso de Arte de la Sociedad Cordobesa de Arqueología y Excursionismo. | Córdoba | Documented (family records) |
| 1927 | Prize at the VI Salón Internacional de la Real Sociedad Fotográfica. | Madrid | Category not identified |
| 1929 | Prize in a Federación Hotelera competition. | — | Competition details missing |
| 1941 | Third prize (Cosmos Fotográfico) in the II Concurso Libre de la Agrupació Fotogràfica de Catalunya. | Barcelona | Documented (family records) |
| 1945 | Third prize donated by N. Cuyàs. | — | Family medal |
| 1946 | Prize in the VI Concurso Libre de la Agrupació Fotogràfica de Catalunya. | Barcelona | Category not identified |
| 1948 | Prize in the XI Concurso Nacional de Cine Amateur for ‘La rata al servicio de la humanidad’ (with F. García del Cid). | Barcelona | Documented (family records) |
| c. 1949 | ‘Màgica Nit’: silver medal, best children’s film, best female performance and outstanding revelation. | — | Recorded testimony by Godes |
| after 1945 | ‘Màgica Nit’: gold medal in Salerno. | Salerno | Year and competition pending |
| 1951 | Prize in the II Salón Nacional de Fotografía Artística. | Camprodon | Category not identified |
| 1952 | Prize in the III Salón Nacional de Fotografía Artística. | Camprodon | Category not identified |
Exhibitions and salons
| Year | Exhibition | Place | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | VI Salón Internacional de la Real Sociedad Fotográfica | Madrid | He presented ‘Pajarita’ and ‘Las Ermitas’, among others. |
| 1930 | Exhibition with Antoni Arissa and Narcís Ricart | Huelva | Catalan photographers invited by the local association. |
| 1932 | I Salón Nacional de Fotografía Publicitaria | Barcelona | Critics highlighted its modernity, objectivity and luminosity. |
| 1944–1945 | ‘Fotografías de Emilio Godes’ (solo exhibition) | Galería El Jardín, Barcelona | 21 close-up photographs and photomacrographs. The only known solo exhibition during his lifetime. |
| 1945 | Series of photomacrographs | Igualada | Presentation of the series shown the previous year in Barcelona. |
| 1946 | X Salón de Arte Fotográfico Internacional | Buenos Aires | Participation linked to the Agrupació Fotogràfica de Catalunya. |
| 1955 | Festival Internacional de Cinematografía a Paso Reducido | Salerno | ‘Todo es según el color…’ was screened. |
The list of awards shows sustained artistic activity from 1915 through the 1950s. Godes was recognised for individual photographs as well as series, bromoil prints and films, confirming that creative practice accompanied his entire professional career.
Publications
- Radium — technical publication linked to Casa Riba, relevant to his training.
- Art — reproductions and photographs of artists; family records list around 150 photographs (1933–1936).
- La Gaseta de les Arts — reproductions of works of art.
- D’Ací i d’Allà — reproductions and visual culture.
- El Progreso Fotográfico — articles and references to his artistic work.
- Meridià — article by Sebastià Gasch (1938) with five close-up photographs.
- El Español — article by Carlos Sindreu (1955) with nine photomicrographs.
- Diario de Barcelona — 1956 article with three photographs from the series.
- San Jorge — article by Carlos Sindreu (1963) with nine photographs.
- Arxius de l’Escola Superior d’Agricultura — scientific publications featuring photographs by Godes, who was photography director of the journal (1930s to mid-1950s).
Jury participation
| Year | Competition | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Agrupación Excursionista Júpiter | With M. Huertas, J. Pla Janini, C. Carbonell and N. Ricart. |
| 1932 | VI Concurso del Ateneu Obrer Martinenc | With Rafael Salcedo and Narcís Ricart. |
| 1935 | Agrupación Fotográfica Saint Victor | Chaired by A. Arissa; with N. Ricart and P. Català Pic. |
Relationships with artists, photographers and scientists
Photographic culture
Antoni Arissa · Narcís Ricart · Pere Català Pic · Josep Sala · Josep Masana · Josep Maria Lladó · Gabriel Casas · Claudi Carbonell · Joaquim Pla Janini · Sebastià Gasch · Carlos Sindreu
Science and institutions
Francisco García del Cid · Dr. Antoni Puigvert · Escola Superior d’Agricultura · Cátedra de Entomología (UB) · Institut d’Investigacions Pesqueres · Laboratorios del Dr. Esteve
Art and film
Artists and sculptors (art reproductions) · Art galleries and publications · Orphea film studios and other producers
Collections and institutions
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya — MNAC
Art photographs, photograms, close-up images, plant motifs and architecture. Part comes from the deposit and donation by Maria Rosa Godes and from the Col·lecció Nacional de Fotografia.
Arxiu Històric Fotogràfic del IEFC
The Godes Collection holds 1,164 images (897 negatives and 267 prints), dating from the 1920s to the 1960s: art and documentary photography, landscape, science, medicine, portraits, family and industry.
Filmoteca de Catalunya
Materials from his film still photography work; these make it possible to identify his participation in numerous films.
Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona
Part of the photo report on the works on Montjuïc and the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
Archivo Municipal de Córdoba · Museo Reina Sofía
Córdoba photo report (acquired and circulated locally). Family records also refer to holdings at the Museo Reina Sofía, with the inventory still to be confirmed.
Historiographical recovery
- Recovery of the Córdoba photo report and its exhibition in 1985, Còrdova anys ’20: Fotografies d’Emili Godes (IEFC).
- Inclusion in group exhibitions on the Spanish photographic avant-gardes.
- Solo exhibition of photomacrography at the 1996 Primavera Fotogràfica.
- Photographs incorporated into the collections of the MNAC, IEFC, Filmoteca and other institutions.
- Research by Laia Foix and collaboration by the Godes family in identification and dating.
Treatment of certainty: a distinction is made between documented information, family testimony, bibliographic references and items awaiting confirmation. A family medal without sufficient inscription is not presented as a fully identified award.