Today marks the 80th anniversary of the passing of Edith Durham, the British artist, anthropologist, and writer known for her pioneering anthropological work on Albania in the early 20th century.

To commemorate this, Miklor Pasku, director of the Berat Museum Center, announced that in collaboration with the National Historical Museum, reproductions of Durham’s drawings from her travels in Albania will be displayed in Berat.

The National Historical Museum already holds a traveling exhibition of her drawings, and to honor Durham’s legacy, her works will be showcased in Berat until November 30.

In 1918, as a gesture of gratitude for her support of Albania’s cause, the people of Berat presented Durham with a gold-embroidered vest, crafted by local artisans. This prized vest is now on display at Bankfield Museum in Halifax, UK.

Durham’s extensive travels across the Balkans began in 1900, and her collected materials, especially her folk costume acquisitions from Albania, remain one of the most significant foreign collections of the time. Reflecting on the beauty of Albanian embroidery, she once said, “Nowhere else can you find gold embroidery like in Albania.”

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