Santander City Council has had this exhibition space since its inauguration in 2007. Since then, a programme focusing on historical photography has been undertaken, which has included regional, national and international exhibitions, bringing the total number of exhibitions over the years to almost eighty. To this activity must be added courses and workshops, guided tours and the so-called didactic workshop.
The room has become an opportunity to work on a regular basis with curators, cultural managers, collectors, specialists in the history of photography and leading photographers.
During these years, the work of iconic historical authors has been shown. At the same time, a line of action focused on recovering the work carried out in its beginnings (before the nineties of the twentieth century) by prestigious living photographers of national and international scope was undertaken and since 2014, an annual exhibition has also been organised that brings together the first period of photographers resident in Cantabria who comply with the same premise.
On the other hand, some of the most interesting projects have resulted from collaboration with collectors, figures to be highlighted in the recovery of photographic heritage. As far as Cantabria is concerned, and in addition to those dedicated to the first period of contemporary photographers in the region, dissemination has been oriented, on the one hand, towards the CDIS's holdings and collections (whether their subject matter and authorship were from Cantabria or not) and, on the other hand, towards local and regional historical themes.