The Korgialenios Library and History Museum occupies part of a building funded by the wealthy local Korgialenios family, whose philanthropy shaped Argostoli's cultural life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The history and folklore museum wing holds a collection of local paintings, traditional costumes, engravings, and photographs — including images of pre-earthquake Argostoli that show what the town looked like before 1953 levelled it.
The photographs are the most moving part of the collection: a town of Venetian-era buildings, elaborate facades, and narrow shaded streets that no longer exists. The earthquake that destroyed so much also motivated the museum to document what had been lost. The library itself is still in active use; the museum section can be visited separately and doesn't take long.