Artist Index: Ottoman Empire

Photographer: Pascal Sébah (1823-1886) and possibly others. Attractive and very comprehensive portrait album showing a wide range of people living in the Ottoman Empire. 1860s-1870s. Circa 400 cartes-de-visite sized albumen prints, mounted to album pages, each annotated in ink in French below the images on the mount (time-stained/soiled in edges), bound in contemporary half leather canvas album (edges rubbed/small tears, corners worn) with gilt embossed title Collection des Types et Costumes de la Turquie par Pascal Sébah.

This exceptionally comprehensive album features portraits of nearly all the peoples and cultures within the Ottoman Empire around 1860-70, as well as neighboring regions under its influence. It vividly illustrates the remarkable diversity of the empire’s political, economic, and cultural life, including portraits of high-ranking officials, officers, and armed personnel in their various uniforms and attire. The collection also includes images of embassy staff, eunuchs, and dwarfs from the Sultan’s court, as well as priests and bishops representing the spectrum of Oriental Christian religions. Additional groups, such as dervishes, mullahs, sheikhs, street vendors, veiled women, farmers, Jews, musicians, pilgrims and beggars, further enrich this extraordinary album. – Some faded in edges, some light scuff marks, otherwise most in very good condition.

Lit.: Bahattin Öztuncay. The Photographers of Constantinople. Pioneers, studios and artists from 19th century Istanbul. Istanbul 2006 (2nd edition), ill. p. 494-499 (street sellers).

Henri Béchard (active 1869-1890) and unknown. Types of the Ottoman Empire. Circa 1865. 23 cdv (3 larger) albumen prints. Some annotated in pencil below the image, each mounted to board.

Some with fading in edges, otherwise in good condition with strong tones.

Photographer: C. J. Fettl, Guillaume Berggren (1835-1920), P. Sebah (1825-1886), Zangaki (active 1870-1915) and unknown. Travel album with portraits of people, landscapes and cities of the Ottoman Empire, also views of Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Odessa. 1880s. Circa 130 albumen prints. Most circa 10 x 14 cm and 21 x 25 cm and some smaller, a few larger. Some with photographer's name and/or title in the negative in lower corner, mounted to album boards (warped, soiling towards beginning and end of album), bound in half leather album (edges rubbed) with gilt embossed title Voyage en Orient Juillet - Octobre 1886.

As industrialization swept through European nations in the 19th century, a concurrent surge of romantic orientalism took hold, captivating the imaginations of many. In response to this fascination, affluent individuals embarked on journeys by rail or ship to the Ottoman Empire, a destination that catered adeptly to this burgeoning tourism trend. Today, a wealth of well-preserved travel albums serves as enduring testaments to this era, offering vivid glimpses into the encounters and experiences of those who ventured into the heart of the Ottoman world. – Some surface scuff marks, some faded, many in good condition.

Photographer: Abdullah Frères (active 1855-1899), Pascal Sebah (1825-1886) and Guillaume Berggren (1835-1920). Views of Constantinople and surroundings. 1880s/90s. 35 albumen prints. Various sizes, most circa 19,5 x 25,5 cm. Some with photographer's name and/or title in the negative in lower corner, mounted to album boards (time-stained in edges) in half leather portfolio.

Includes picturesque costume and market scenes, monuments, street life, palaces of Constantinople, with views of the newly built Anatolian train line. – Some surface scuff marks, most in good to very good condition.

Photographers: Abdullah Frères and Alphonse Rubellin. Attractive portrait album showing a wide range of people living in the Ottoman Empire. 1860s-1880s. 103 cartes-de-visite albumen prints, all with early photographer's logo (some hand-stamped), address and name and most titled and numbered in ink in contemporary hand on mount verso, inserted in album window mat boards (some damaged, slightly soiled), bound in contemporary tooled leather album (rubbed) with brass and glass ornaments (some missing) and brass clasp.

This extensive collection of cartes-de-visite portraits documents the vast cultural and ethnic diversity in the Ottoman Empire. 64 cartes-de-visite show various peoples of the Empire. Among them are Afghan, Algerian, Georgian, Greek, Persian, Turkish and Jewish people. Also includes a wide range of street sellers with their goods, beggars, warriors, Orthodox priests and other high-ranking persons such as Kececizade Mehmed Fuad Pasha (1814-1869). – Some faded, some light scuff marks, otherwise most in very good condition.

Lit.: Bahattin Öztuncay. The Photographers of Constantinople. Pioneers, studios and artists from 19th century Istanbul. Istanbul 2006 (2nd edition), ill. p. 380 and compare 494-499 (street sellers).

Photographer unknown. Group portraits of Turkish and Persian Dervishes. 1870s. 2 albumen prints. 10 x 6 cm and 15,5 x 21,5 cm. Each annotated in Russian in negative, each mounted to board.

One with small paper tear with emulsion loss in upper left, otherwise in good condition.

Photographer: Felix Bonfils, P. Sebah, Emil Frechon, G. Lékégian and Zangaki. Views of Constantinople, Cairo, Bedouin portraits, rural scenes, monuments and buildings and Jerusalem (2). 1890s. 27 albumen prints and 1 sepia-toned gelatin silver print (Frechon). Each circa 20 x 27 cm. Most with photographer's name and/or title in the negative in lower edge, some mounted to board.
Some with creases, otherwise most in good condition.

Types of the Ottoman Empire. Circa 1865. 30 cdv albumen prints. Mounted to 2 sides of 2 boards.

Some with light fading in edges, otherwise in good to very good condition with strong tones.

Photographers: Abdullah Frères, Wilhelm Hammerschmidt (c. 1830-1869), Petros Moraites (c. 1835-1905), Pascal Sebah (1825-1886), Royer & Aufiere (Cairo). Attractive portrait album showing a wide range of people living in the Ottoman Empire. Early 1860s. 77 cartes-de-visite albumen prints and 1 salt print, all with early photographer's logo (some hand-stamped), address and name and most titled and numbered in ink in contemporary hand on mount verso, inserted in album window mat boards (some damaged), bound in contemporary tooled leather album with brass clasp (rubbed, clasp catch missing).

This extensive collection of cartes-de-visite portraits documents the vast cultural and ethnic diversity in the Ottoman Empire. It shows various inhabitants. Among them are Afghan, Algerian, Georgian, Greek, Persian, Turkish, Jewish people and a Zeibeck warrior in traditional dress. Also includes a variety of occupational portraits such as a Bulgarian farmer, a hamal, a night guard, a fire man, a gypsy, a knife grinder, a pasha in guard uniform and street sellers with their goods such as herbs, fruits and vegetables, salep, pilaf, tea, kitchen utensils, sponges, baskets, pretzel rings, chestnuts and others. None of these early images are published in Öztuncay. This album gives a typical impression of what most travelers to countries of the Ottoman Empire would have encountered. – Most faded, some with light foxing spots, some light scuff marks, otherwise most in good to very good condition.

Lit.: Bahattin Öztuncay. The Photographers of Constantinople. Pioneers, studios and artists from 19th century Istanbul. Istanbul 2006 (2nd edition).

Photographer: Ali Sami Bey (chief photographer of the Marine Minister of the Ottoman Empire). Souvenir album of the visit of the Prussian Crown Prince Wilhelm to Constantinople. Circa 1900. 10 vintage gelatin silver prints. Circa 16,5 x 22 cm. Mounted to gilt-edge album boards (time-stained in edges, some foxing) and bound in red silk album (traces of use, soiled, some repairs) with gilt stamped ornament on front cover, inside cover with Exlibris Eitel-Friedrich Prinz von Preussen.

Some photos slightly faded, otherwise most in good conditon.

Provenance: From the estate of Eitel-Friedrich Prinz von Preussen