Palestine and the Levant – A Remarkable 19th-Century Travel Album.
[Jerusalem, Holy Land, Syria Photo Album]
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Description
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An impressive and richly composed photographic album documenting a tour of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, compiled by an anonymous traveler during April and May of 1897. This large-format album contains 140 photographs, capturing the cultural, religious, and architectural diversity of the Holy Land and the greater Levant at the close of the 19th century.
The album includes 119 large-format albumen silver prints, nine vibrant Photochrom prints, 11 smaller albumen prints, and a striking three-panel folding panorama of Jerusalem mounted on linen.
The majority of the photographs are attributed to the celebrated Adelphoi Zangaki (at least 58 identified) and Maison Bonfils (53 identified), with several additional images likely from the same studios. All Photochroms bear the gilt imprint of Photochrom Zürich (P.Z.), and at least one is directly derived from a Bonfils original. The smaller format photographs may be linked to the American Colony in Jerusalem, and the panoramic view of Jerusalem also suggests a Bonfils origin.
The photographs are beautifully mounted with manuscript captions in English, and many include printed titles in French within the negatives. They depict a wide array of landmarks and scenes across Jerusalem, Jaffa, Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, Nazareth, Beirut, Damascus, and surrounding regions. Subjects range from sacred Christian, Jewish, and Islamic sites, to street scenes, ethnographic portraits (Jewish, Muslim, and Druze), and major archaeological ruins, most notably Baalbek.
Overall, the images constitute a superb visual record of the Holy Land at the end of the 19th century—rare in its breadth, size, and photographic quality, and featuring works by two of the most important commercial photographers of the Middle East.
Cartographer(s):
Adelphoi Zangaki—also known as the Zangaki Brothers—were two Greek photographers, George and Constantinos Zangaki, active primarily in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean during the late 19th century. Though their individual biographies remain somewhat obscure, they are celebrated for producing some of the most iconic 19th-century photographs of the Middle East, particularly Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.
Maison BonfilsFélix Bonfils (1831–1885) was a pioneering French photographer renowned for his extensive documentation of the Middle East during the late 19th century. Born in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, France, Bonfils initially trained as a bookbinder and printer. In 1860, he joined the French military expedition to the Levant, which profoundly influenced his decision to pursue a career in photography. Upon returning to France, he studied heliogravure under Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor and opened a printing office in Alès in 1864. In 1867, seeking a milder climate for his ailing son, Bonfils relocated his family to Beirut, then part of the Ottoman Empire, where he established the photography studio Maison Bonfils.
Maison Bonfils became one of the most prominent photographic studios in the Middle East, producing thousands of images that captured the region’s landscapes, architecture, and people. Bonfils’s work included panoramic views of cities such as Beirut, Damascus, and Constantinople, as well as staged scenes depicting biblical narratives and everyday life. His photographs were characterized by their meticulous composition and attention to detail, offering a window into the diverse cultures and histories of the Ottoman Empire. In 1878, the studio was renamed F. Bonfils et Cie, reflecting the increasing involvement of his wife and son in the business.
Bonfils was among the first photographers to employ the new color printing technique known as photochrom, developed in 1880. His work gained international acclaim, earning him a medal from the Société Française de Photographie in 1871. Bonfils continued to lead his studio until he died in 1885. After his passing, the studio remained operational under the management of his family, producing photographs until 1918. Today, his legacy endures through his extensive photographic archive, which serves as a valuable historical record of the Middle East during a transformative period.
Condition Description
An album (approximately 53.5 x 37.5 cm; 21 × 14.7 inches), containing 119 large-format albumen silver photographs (approximately 28 x 22.5 cm or the reverse); 9 Polychrom prints (approximately 16.5 x 22.5cm or the reverse); 11 smaller albumen silver photographs (approximately 15.5 x 11 cm or the reverse); and a three-panel folding panorama of Jerusalem (approximately 82 x 21 cm) mounted on linen.
Neatly disbound, but with the morocco covers (lettered 'Palestine' in gilt) present, albeit separated at the joints; mounts a little cockled, with a few tiny splits or chips at the edges; stain to a couple of later leaves (slightly affecting one image); unobtrusive closed tears to a few photographs (from mounting); some minor foxing, discoloration and fingermarks; overall, the photographs are in excellent condition.
References
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