There are photographs that simply freeze a moment in time, and there are those that tell the story of an entire era. Manolis Daponte's photographic archive undoubtedly belongs to the latter case. Through his rare colour slides, we do not just see Kythera of decades past; we witness the period when the island began to look boldly into the future, writing golden pages in its recent history. Daponte, a man of profound vision, multifaceted action and inexhaustible love for his land, was at the forefront of great changes. And he captured these great changes, keeping his lens focused both on the pioneering infrastructure projects that brought Kythera out of isolation, and on the everyday life, traditions and sports that gave life to the youth. This photographic travelogue is a mental journey to the years of innocence and creation, opening a window to the authentic face of Kythera for every modern visitor.
Here we present selected photos provided by Manolis Daponte with the reservation of all rights for their exclusive display through our website. Browse through the following collection and discover the authentic face of Kythera, exactly as it was captured in the historical slides of the time.
20 December 1971: The «Flying Box» lands in Kythera
One of the most emblematic moments captured by the lens of Daponte is the inauguration of the airport of Kythera. The runway was still dirt at that time. The aircraft we see is the famous Short SC.7 Skyvan of Olympic Aviation, registered SX-BBN and named «Mykonos Island». Because of its distinctive square shape, the British-built twin-engine turboprop was internationally known as the «Flying Shoebox» - the ideal vessel to connect isolated islands.
Mapping the future from the air
Daponte wasn't limited to the... ground. The slides show an Aérospatiale Alouette II helicopter of the Olympic Airways (registration SX-HAH) landing in the Kytherian countryside. Through such flights, it provided rare panoramic shots of the settlements and the wild beauty of the landscape before the advent of intense tourist development.
Kythera Yacht Club (1968): building the modern maritime tradition of the place
The shots in the water record a personal bet. As the founder of the Kythera Nautical Athletic Club (NAOK) in 1968, at a time when sports were an unknown word in the Greek countryside, he brought the youth into contact with championship sport: from the organized swimming lessons in Kapsali with the blue boards, to the small Optimist sailing boats (with the initials NOK on the sails) and the impressive figures in water skiing.
4. The landscape, the tradition, the daily glimpses
Manolis Daponte's lens wandered to beautiful corners of the island, capturing the raw beauty of the Kytherian landscape. It is a tender, unpretentious record of a place that, although preparing to spread its wings for tomorrow, kept its character and roots deeply alive.
Thanks to Manolis Daponte for what he offered to all of us, for the moments he shared with us throughout his life.
