Photograph Album of North Africa and Turkey
This collection contains a photo album comprised of 92 photographs circa 1880. The album features native inhabitants of the Middle East and Northern Africa, as well as photographs of prominent structures and cities in those regions. Photos of Turks come from a series issued in the 1870s by the studio of Pascal Sebah. These photos show costumes of Kurds, Armenians, Montenegrins, Bohemiennes, a Zeybeck, Eunuch of Sultan, a Turkish barber at work, and a woman in a palanquine. The portraits of Egyptians include a close-up image of a young girl, photos of street beggars, Egyptian officers in elaborately decorated outfit, Bedouins on horses, and women in native dress. More photos show Bedouin camps with tents, riders and camels carrying decorated palanquins.
The album also displays views of Algiers and Tunis. Included are a panorama of Algiers, its quay, narrow streets, Arab coffee houses, and burial grounds. Several views of the countryside display El Kantara Gorge with narrow road and bridge and the remnants of Hippo Regius. Also included are street views and the inner yard of the French Consulate.
Views of Constantinople include panoramas of the Golden Horn, Bazaar, and Bosporous, as well as images of Dolmabahҫe Palace, a fountain near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, cemeteries, the Walled Obelisk and the Obelisk of Thutmose III on the Hippodrome Square, two photos of the Hagia Sophia as well as the Column of Constantine. Cairo is displayed through panorama, including views of the Citadel, tombs of caliphs, a bridge across the Nile, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Sphinx.
Dates
- circa 1880
Language
The languages of the material are English and French.
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite, and a minimum of 2 business days are needed to retrieve these items for use. Researchers interested in consulting any of the collections are advised to contact Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection contains a photo album comprised of 92 photographs circa 1880. The album features native inhabitants of the Middle East and Northern Africa, as well as photographs of prominent structures and cities in those regions.
Biographical/Historical Note
Pascal Sébah, born in 1823, was an Ottoman pioneer photographer who worked in Istanbul. He was born to a Syrian Catholic father and an Armenian mother. In 1857 he opened his first photography studio in Istanbul and by 1873 was successful enough to open another studio in Cairo. After he died in 1886, the studio was managed by his brother Cosmi until Pascal's son, Jean, joined him in 1888.
Acquisition Note
This item was purchased by Special Collections in 2013.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository