The British Embassy is partnering with Khalifa Shaheen Productions (KSP), owner of Bahrain’s largest privately held photography archive, to bring to the forefront iconic imagery commemorating the Kingdom’s historic diplomatic and cultural relations with the UK. The images, some dating back more than half a century, were shortlisted by Sophie Martin, wife of His Excellency, British Ambassador, Simon Martin, during a visit to the photography studio. She met with pioneering Bahraini photographer and archivist, Khalifa Shaheen to discuss a number of opportunities to showcase the imagery in celebration of the 2016 anniversary marking 200 years of Bahrain-UK diplomatic and cultural relations.
“KSP’s collection is a unique treasure for the Kingdom, the result of having been present to record many of Bahrain’s milestone events over the years. We look forward to working with Khalifa on showcasing these historic photographs at our commemorative event through an exhibition which will be announced soon,” said Mrs. Martin.
KSP is set to launch its exclusive online image stock library at the end of the first quarter of 2016. The image bank, titled Arabia Gallery, will offer over one million Bahrain images dating back to the 1950s, as well as a collection of modern photography pertaining to the Gulf region as a whole.
“We are honoured to have the opportunity to support the embassy and tell the story behind some of our most historical Bahrain and Britain-related imagery, many of which I took myself since I began my photography career in the 1950s. We have worked for a range of Bahrain-based entities, including ministries and other government agencies, and are happy to share with the public the photographs we have amassed over the years,” said Mr. Shaheen.
As a part of the company’s latest rebrand, KSP also announced a new website, new logo, and stronger social media presence. KSP is an OSK Partners company.