Memorie.al/ publishes some rare photos with unknown images that belong to Tirana of the first years of the last century, where in the center of the capital, very close to the Clock Tower and the Mosque of E’them bey, between several shops, there is also that of the well-known Tirana family, Kaceli, which traded only accessories, cosmetics and perfumes, from the most famous European brands, which the Kaceli family imported from France, through Italy.
According to some evidence, the commercial activity of this family with accessories, cosmetics and perfumery, is thought to be earlier, even before the 1900s, but the photo where its main store is fixed, belongs to 1914 (which is clearly seen also from the inscription held by one of these photos), and there, in addition to the inscription ‘Ali, Vll. Kaceli ‘(which means that its owner is Ali Kaceli with his brothers), is the inscription’ KARTOLERI – KINKALERI – PARFUMERI ETC ‘, which shows the commercial activity of that store.
This shop of the Kaceli family, where in the half-open door, as its owner posed, (or one of the sellers employed there) on both sides there are showcases where the items of stationery, perfumery and hardware that he traded are clearly visible, and also on both sides of the store, there are two strollers, which are put there for sale. This shop of the Kaceli family, according to the testimonies of one of its suckers, the famous painter, Buron Kaceli (son of the ‘People’s Painter’, Sadik Kaceli), is the second and it was built seven years later, on the foundations of the first shop (with the inscription in 1914), where several people seem to have posed, a soldier in uniform sitting in a chair at the main door of the bar and next to it, two young boys in characteristic Tirana clothes and some children of little ones holding hats on their heads.
Even this shop, the second of the Kaceli family, did not have a ‘long life’, as from the end of the ’20s and the beginning of the’ 30s, it was demolished and in its place, it was built ‘ Kaceli ‘Palace, with four floors, which is still located in the center of the capital, right next to the Clock Tower, of the Et’hem bey Mosque, which can be seen in one of the other photos, where around it, there are several cars, buggies and minibuses, which at that time served for public transport, within the capital./ Memorie.al
