#PE24
Ca. 1890s-1900s
Oblong Folio (ca. 34.5 x 26 cm or 13 ¼ x 10 ¼ in). 34 cardstock leaves. 93 mounted gelatin silver photographs, one panorama ca. 55 x 20.5 cm (21 ½ x 8 in), 56 large ones from ca. 29.5 x 19 cm (11 ½ x 8 ½ in) to 25.5 x 19 cm (10 x 7 ½ in), twelve medium-sized ca. 16.5 x 12 cm (6 ½ x 4 ½ in), and the rest ca. 8.5 x 5 cm (3 ¼ x 2 in). Over 50 images captioned and/or signed in negative; over 30 images with period French ink and pencil captions on mounts. Period navy blue sheep album with gilt-tooled borders and spine; all edges gilt; decorative endpapers. Spine and edges slightly rubbed; mounts mildly waved and age-toned; but overall a very good album with interesting photos.
A well-preserved collection of 93 amateur and studio photographs of cities and archaeological sites in Greece, Turkey and Algeria. The majority of the collection consists of studio photographs; twelve snapshots are likely taken by the compiler.
Over 15 photographs show Greece, with most attributed to the Rhomaïdès Brothers. One is a panorama showing the city of Nafplio. The others show archeological sites in Athens (Acropolis, Temple of Hephaestus, the Roman Angora, and Hadrian’s Library) and Mycenae (the Acropolis of Mycenae and Lion Gate).
Over 15 photographs show Turkey, including Smyrna’s (Izmir) customs wharf, the waterfront, Turkish Quarter, and a caravansary full of travellers. The amateur photographs show ruins in Ephesus (a Roman basilica and amphitheatre) and Colossae near Honaz.
Over 30 photographs are of Algeria, signed in negative by Alexandre Leroux. They include views of Algiers, showing the bustling Port of Algiers, the Place de Gouvernement (now Place des Martyrs), the Summer Palace (now the People’s Palace), “Bresson Place” and “Bresson Square,” and the “Cathedrale et Palais du Gouverneur; there are interiors of the National Library of Algeria, the Jardin d’essai du Hamma, and Djamaa el-Kebir (Great Mosque of Algiers); and images of daily life, including students learning at an “Arab school,” a “Moorish café,” and street scenes. Also of Algeria are photographs of Roman ruins in Timgad and Lambaesis, the village and nearby gorge of Kamtara, and mosques and the old Turkish Fort in Biskra. Several photographs are portraits of Algerians, including women in “Moorish public attire,” an Algerian officer, and a young shoe-shiner.
Additionally, over 20 photographs are views of Monte Carlo and Nice. The photographs of Nice are signed in negative by the Neurdien Brothers.
Overall, a well-preserved collection of large photographs showing Algeria, Greece, and Turkey in the late 19th/early 20th century.
