INVENTORY OF VIEWS OF GREECE, EGYPT AND CONSTANTINOPLE,
circa 1853-1857
Finding aid prepared by Ann Harrison
Getty Research Institute
Research Library
Special Collections and Visual Resources
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, California 90049-1688
Phone: (310) 440-7390
Fax: (310) 440-7780
Email requests:
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/library/reference_form.html
URL:
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/library/
©2006
J. Paul Getty Trust
INVENTORY OF VIEWS OF GREECE, EGYPT AND CONSTANTINOPLE,
circa 1853-1857
Accession no. 2001.R.1
Finding aid prepared by Ann Harrison
Getty Research Institute
Contact Information:
- Getty Research Institute
- Research Library
- Special Collections and Visual Resources
- 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
- Los Angeles, California 90049-1688
- Phone: (310) 440-7390
- Fax: (310) 440-7780
- Email requests:
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/library/reference_form.html
- URL:
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/library/
- Processed by:
- Ann Harrison
- Date Completed:
- May 2007
- Encoded by:
- Ann Harrison
©2006 J. Paul Getty Trust.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Views of Greece, Egypt and
Constantinople
Dates: circa
1853-1857
Collection Number: 2001.R.1
Creator:
Robertson,
James, 1813-1888
Extent:
5.3 linear
ft.
(3 boxes)
Repository:
Getty Research Institute
Research Library
Special Collections and Visual Resources
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688
Abstract: The collection comprises
sixty-nine photographs of Greece, Egypt and Constantinople attributed to the
British photographer James Robertson. The majority of these photographs record
the ancient monuments of the city of Athens. The remainder document a small
number of ancient Greek sites outside Athens, as well as various architectural
monuments in Constantinople. Photographs of one ancient and one Islamic
monument in Egypt are also included.
Language: Collection material is in
English.
Adminstrative Information
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
James Robertson, Views of Greece, Egypt and Constantinople, circa
1853-1857. Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Accession no.
2001.R.1
Acquisition Information
Acquired in 2001.
Processing History
Ann Harrison processed and described the Views of Greece, Egypt and
Constantinople in 2001 and 2007. John McElhone, photograph conservator at the
National Gallery of Canada, and Teresa Mesquit, photograph conservator at the
Getty Research Institute, provided expertise on the techniques of
mid-nineteenth-century photographic prints.
Related Material
Comparable collections of James Robertson's photographs of Greece are
held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert
Museum in London and the Benaki Museum in Athens.
Biographical/Historical Note
Although James Robertson's photographs have enjoyed broad popularity
both in his time and today, until recently many details of his life and career
have remained obscure. New research has significantly altered the facts
presented in much of the earlier scholarship and helped to clarify the
professional relationship between Robertson and Felice Beato, his
collaborator.
Of Scottish descent, James Robertson was born in Middlesex outside
London in 1813. He trained as an engraver, and by 1833 he was working at the
British Royal Mint. In 1841, Robertson moved to Constantinople, present-day
Istanbul, having been recruited as part of a group brought in to modernize the
Ottoman Imperial Mint. As chief engraver and die-maker, Robertson was known for
his elaborate and beautiful designs for Ottoman coinage and commemorative
medals. In April 1855, he married Matilda Beato, cementing a relationship with
her brothers, Felice and Antonio, who would follow Robertson into photography.
Robertson worked at the Mint with ever increasing responsibilities, including
appointment to the Imperial Coinage Commission, until his retirement in October
1881. He and his family then immediately left Constantinople for Yokohama,
Japan, where Felice Beato had settled. Robertson died there on 18 April
1888.
By the early 1850s, Robertson was engaged in photography as a sideline
to his work at the Mint. His short, intense photographic career can be roughly
divided into three phases. In the years from circa 1853 to 1855, Robertson
worked alone, photographing Constantinople and then Greece. From 1856 to 1857,
he worked with his brother-in-law Felice Beato, first with Beato as an
uncredited assistant, then as a full partner, and the pair photographed farther
afield. After 1858, Robertson only sold prints from earlier negatives.
It is not completely clear when or how Robertson got interested in
photography. He may have been drawn into the new medium through his general
artistic interests. As well as his numismatic designs, Robertson produced
sketches and paintings of life in Constantinople in his early years in the
city. Whenever he began, by July of 1853 there is evidence of him selling
individual photographs of Constantinople, and by October he had an album for
sale. These early forays into photography were successful. By the fall of 1853,
Robertson's photographs were being used for engravings in western publications
like the
Illustrated London News and his Constantinople album was
favorably reviewed. He quickly expanded his catalog, photographing in Greece in
1853 or 1854 and publishing two albums of those photographs in 1854. Robertson
continued to send his work out to the western market. In January 1855 he
exhibited a selection of Constantinople photographs in London, and in May a
group of photographs of Constantinople and Greece in Paris. Both venues led to
critical acclaim. Also around this time, Robertson opened a studio in Pera, the
European quarter of Constantinople, probably primarily as a sales outlet for
his prints.
The turning point in Robertson's photographic career, however, was his
coverage of the Crimean War. Robertson's location in Constantinople gave him
easy access to the war zone. His earliest photographs of the war document the
staging of troops outside the city in the summer of 1854, and he subsequently
made several trips to the front in 1855 and 1856, documenting the aftermath of
decisive battles. Robertson's war coverage brought him an extensive new
audience for his work.
It was also at this time that Robertson started working with Felice
Beato. By May of 1856 Beato was in the Crimea working as Robertson's assistant.
Although the photographs of the Crimea were signed only by Robertson,
contemporary documentation indicates that many photographs from the summer of
1856 were actually taken by Beato. Robertson and Beato's collaboration
continued after the war. By late summer they were on Malta photographing the
island and selling those prints, as well as Robertson's earlier work. They
returned to Constantinople that December, soon to set out on their next
photographic expedition to document the Holy Land and Egypt. When they arrived
in Jerusalem in March of 1857, they were accompanied by Antonio, Felice's
younger brother. Antonio Beato would later become an established photographer
in his own right, but there is no evidence for his actual involvement in these
photographs. It is also with this trip that the signature on the photographs
shifts from "Robertson" to "Robertson & Beato." New photographs of
Constantinople and Athens with this double signature further document the work
of the pair in 1857.
After this burst of activity, however, Robertson and Beato went their
separate ways. In 1858, Robertson appears to have quit taking photographs,
although he still produced prints of his earlier work until he finally sold the
studio in Pera in 1867. The company name of "Robertson & Beato" would
continue on new photography for a short while longer, used by Felice Beato, but
with no evidence of Robertson's active involvement.
Unlike Robertson, Felice Beato pursued photography as his primary
career. He was probably born in the 1820s, possibly on Corfu. After the work
with Robertson in 1856-1857, Beato went off on his own. His training with
Robertson, especially the experience of the Crimean War and the military
connections he made there, set the stage for Beato's subsequent career, as one
of the first photographers to serve primarily as a war photographer. From 1858
to 1860 Beato photographed the Indian Mutiny. Many of these photographs,
although solely the work of Beato, bear the signature "Robertson & Beato,"
presumably to take advantage of the company's name recognition. After this
initial solo enterprise, further series of military conflicts followed. Beato
went to China with the Anglo-French expeditionary force and documented the
Second Opium War in 1860. In 1871 he was the photographer for an American naval
expedition against Korea. Finally, in 1885 he went on the Sudan expedition to
Khartoum to rescue Gordon, although none of these photographs survive.
Between these military engagements, Beato was based in Yokohama, where
he had settled in 1863. The following year he formed a partnership with Charles
Wirgman, a correspondent and artist for the
Illustrated London News who had travelled with Beato in
China, supplying photographs for publications and tourist views. The
partnership lasted until 1868, when Beato went off on his own. His non-military
photographic work in this period included architecture, landscapes and genre
scenes, many still bearing traces of Robertson's stylistic influence. By 1877,
however, Beato sold his photographic business. He appears to have then been a
general merchant until November 1884, when he went bankrupt due to currency
speculation. By 1889 Beato had moved to Burma where he would run a photographic
studio and furniture business until his death circa 1907.
Scope and Content of the Collection
Sixty-nine photographs of Greece, Constantinople and Egypt attributed
to the British photographer James Robertson comprise the collection. The
majority of these photographs record the ancient monuments of the city of
Athens. The remainder document the antiquities of Corinth, Sounion and Aegina,
as well as various architectural monuments in Constantinople. A photograph of
the Sphinx and an Islamic monument in Cairo are also included. These Robertson
photographs form an important study collection for the early history of
photography. Additionally, the photographs of Greece provide rare visual
documentation of the state of the archaeological monuments, as well as the
practice of archaeology, in the 1850s.
The majority of the photographs in the collection are identified as
Robertson's work either through a signature on the negative or the print, or by
attribution. Two photographs bear the joint signature of Robertson and his
partner, Felice Beato. One photograph may be intrusive, with no clear
connection to Robertson.
James Robertson's photography centered on his adopted city of
Constantinople, but he also photographed Greece, Malta, the Holy Land and
Egypt, as well as the conflict of the Crimean War. Apart from his Crimean War
photography, Robertson's images fall into three main categories: panoramic
cityscapes, architectural studies and Ottoman types. Only the architectural
work is represented in this collection. Robertson had a distinctive style of
photographing architectural monuments with groupings of two or three figures in
the foreground. Seemingly casual passersby, wearing uniforms, native and
western dress, surround the monuments providing scale and lending a touch of
romantic, local color for Robertson's northern European clientele.
Robertson's photographs of the eastern Mediterranean world mark the
shift from amateur to professional travel photography in the 1850s. Robertson
never solely made a living from his photographs, but he was certainly aware of
the commercial market and chose and composed his images accordingly.
Robertson's images were designed to appeal to a northern European, primarily
British, traveler, either civilian or military, and the public back home. He
marketed to the growing interest in the East and Orientalism in mid-century
Britain, which was dramatically increased by the Crimean War. His photographs
were exotic, yet comfortable for the British public because they followed an
established aesthetic of presenting the eastern Mediterranean world. In order
to reach his target audience, the actual traveler or the armchair tourist,
Robertson advertised his work in British publications and displayed his work in
exhibitions in London and other European cities.
This collection of Robertson photographs is unusual in that it is
composed primarily of his less common photographs of Greece, and in that it
represents such a comprehensive set of these photographs. The dates for the
photographs used here represent the date the negative was made. Individual
prints may have been made at a later point, but for the majority of the prints
in this collection, there is no evidence for a substantially later print
date.
This collection also displays the range of Robertson's technical
practices. The appearance of Robertson's photographs suggest that he used a
wet-collodion process for his negatives. As for his prints, Robertson appears
to have made use of several processes. This collection includes images printed
on plain salted paper and on albumen coated paper. However, the 1850s were a
transitional time for printmaking techniques and the technique of the majority
of prints in this collection, especially the photographs of Greece, remains
ambiguous through visual analysis alone. These ambiguous prints are
distinguished by a surface sheen intermediate between the surface type
associated with salted paper prints and that of standard albumen prints. This
surface sheen could be due to either a heavily diluted albumen image-carrying
layer or to a material, such as albumen, used as a post-processing coating over
a plain salted paper print.
Arrangement
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Names
Pittakys, K.S. (Kyriakos
S.), 1806?-1863
Subjects - Topics
Arch of Hadrian (Athens,
Greece)
Archaeology—Greece—19th
century
Architecture,
Greek—Greece—Athens
Architecture,
Islamic—Turkey—Istanbul
Architecture,
Mameluke—Egypt—Cairo
Architecture,
Ottoman—Turkey—Istanbul
Architecture,
Roman—Greece—Athens
Erechtheum (Athens,
Greece)
Excavations
(Archaeology)—Greece—Athens
Fountains—Turkey—Istanbul
Great Sphinx
(Egypt)
Hephaisteion (Athens,
Greece)
Library of Hadrian
(Athens, Greece)
Mosques—Egypt—Cairo
Mosques—Turkey—Istanbul
Obelisks—Turkey—Istanbul
Olympieion (Athens,
Greece)
Parthenon (Athens,
Greece)
Propylaea (Athens,
Greece)
Süleymaniye Camii
(Istanbul, Turkey)
Temple of Athena Nike
(Athens, Greece)
Tower of the Winds
(Athens, Greece)
Subjects - Places
Acropolis (Athens,
Greece)
Aegina Island
(Greece)—Antiquities
Ákra Soúnion
(Greece)—Antiquities
Athens
(Greece)—Antiquities
Athens
(Greece)—Buildings, structures, etc.
Cairo (Egypt)—Buildings,
structures, etc.
Corinth
(Greece)—Antiquities
Istanbul
(Turkey)—Antiquities
Istanbul
(Turkey)—Buildings, structures, etc.
Genres and Forms of Material
Albumen prints—Egypt—19th
century
Albumen
prints—Turkey—19th century
Salted paper
prints—Greece—19th century
Salted paper
prints—Turkey—19th century
Contributors
Beato, Felice, b. ca.
1825
Series I.
Photographs of Greece,
circa
1853-1854
Physical Description:
3.5 linear feet
2 boxes
Scope and Content Note
The form and appearance of the ancient monuments of Greece and
Athens, especially the Athenian Acropolis, have been in a state of evolution
since their initial creation. The monuments as we know them today are the
product of extensive reconstruction projects of the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century after the severe 1894 earthquake, or of even more recent
renovations. Robertson's photographs provide a rare visual record of the early
stages of archaeological work for which the written records are often sketchy,
and which has itself been removed or obscured by subsequent work. Specifically,
Robertson's photographs document the archaeological work of Kyriakos Pittakis,
who became the ephor of antiquities in the summer of 1836 and remained active
until his death in 1863. The tenure of Pittakis as ephor was a period of
intense archaeological activity. He was extremely ambitious in both his
demolition and his reconstruction efforts, and his controversial projects
dramatically altered the appearance of numerous monuments.
The limited details of Robertson's career, and internal evidence
from the photographs themselves, suggest that all the photographs of Greece in
this collection were made sometime in the period from 1853 to 1854. Although
Robertson probably made a second trip to Athens in 1857, there is no evidence
that any of the photographs in this collection are from the later trip.
The photographs of Greece, with the exception of the unmounted
prints, bear signatures and numbering on the verso. Annotations on the mounts
record this information and its location.
Box 1-2
Photographs of Athens,
circa 1853-1854
Box 1
2001.R.1-1
West end of the Acropolis
Physical Description: 25.4 x 29.8 cm., on paper mount 29 x 34.7
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The photograph shows the west end of Acropolis shortly after
the excavations of Charles-Ernest Beulé in 1852 and 1853. The so-called Beulé
Gate, the third century A.D. Roman gate to the Acropolis, is seen still
embedded in the medieval fortifications, as it would remain until 1888.
Although most of the later construction had been cleared by this time, the
Frankish Tower, which was not demolished until 1875, still dominates the
western end of the Acropolis. The Klepsydra spring, rediscovered and
refortified by the Greeks in 1822 during the War of Independence, is visible at
the left of the photograph. This photograph also records the damaged state of
the podium of the northern wing of the Propylaia (the Pinakotheke) before the
repairs of 1854.
"Signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on back, No 1"--annotation
in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-2
Propylaia, central section from the west
Physical Description: 31.5 x 25.1 cm., on paper mount 35 x 28.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This photograph documents the general clearing of the
Propylaia undertaken by Pittakis in 1836 and 1837. Later additions to the
building, including Frankish screen walls joining the columns and a Turkish
vaulted roof over the central section, have been removed and the interior of
the building excavated.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson' on
back, No 2"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-3
Propylaia, north wing (Pinakotheke) from the
southeast
Physical Description: 31.5 x 25.1 cm., on paper mount 34.9 x 27.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
As excavations on the Acropolis progressed in the 1830s and
1840s, various structures were pressed into service as storage depots for the
antiquities. The north wing of the Propylaia, the Pinakotheke, was used for
storage as early as 1833. By 1837 it had been set up as a sort of gallery for
viewing the antiquities. This photograph shows sculpture fragments and
architectural elements displayed on a shelf-like structure on the porch. The
photograph also records the damaged state of the western face of the building's
podium before the repairs of 1854.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson' on
back, No 3"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-4
Propylaia, central section from the east
Physical Description: 25.1 x 26.8 cm., on paper mount 29.3 x 31.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The eastern portico of the Propylaia was excavated by Pittakis
in 1839. This photograph shows the line of delineation between the excavated
areas to the southeast of the Propylaia and the unexcavated areas to the
northeast. Substantial remains of medieval structures behind the north wing of
the Propylaia are visible in the far right of the photograph.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed Robertson
Constantinople on back, No 4"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the
image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-5
Parthenon, from the northwest
Physical Description: 24.9 x 30.6 cm., on paper mount 28.8 x 35.1
cm.
Scope and Content Note
In the period 1842-1845, Pittakis reerected parts of the
destroyed central sections of the north and south colonnades of the Parthenon,
as well as replacing blocks in the north and south walls. This photograph shows
the completely restored ninth and eleventh columns from the east on the north
side, as well as several other partially restored columns. In this same period,
the small Turkish mosque, which was built inside the Parthenon at some point
after the 1687 explosion and which had been used for antiquities storage from
1837-1842, was demolished. The area between the Propylaia and the Parthenon,
the foreground of the photograph, had been cleared of the remains of Turkish
houses in 1839, but a vaulted Turkish cistern remained at the west end of the
Parthenon and was used for antiquities storage at the time of the photograph.
The low free-standing walls in the foreground are constructed from sculpture
fragments and architectural elements. Pittakis was very concerned about the
unauthorized removal of antiquities from the site and attempted to gather the
numerous fragments dispersed over the Acropolis in an attempt to protect them.
In addition to securing pieces in various storage buildings, Pittakis tried to
discourage pilferers by building "walls" of these fragments.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "No 5, also signed
'Robertson' on back"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-6
Parthenon, from the west
Physical Description: 24.9 x 29.3 cm., on paper mount 28.5 x 34.1
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The west end of the Parthenon shows recent damage from the War
of Independence; white scars from the bombardment stand out against the darker
patinated surface. The angle of this photograph also clearly shows the Late
Roman damage to the west doorway. The large gap between the lintel of the west
door and its covering masonry would be filled in with a brick arch in repairs
in 1872. A large vaulted Turkish cistern sits at the base of the Parthenon.
Used at the time of the photograph for antiquities storage, the cistern would
be torn down in 1856 and the rock-cut steps leading to the Parthenon revealed.
This photograph also shows the base of the tower built on the west porch in the
early thirteenth century with blocks taken from the rear of the Monument of
Philopappos.
"No 6, signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on back"--annotation
in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-7
Parthenon, from the southeast
Physical Description: 25 x 30.5 cm., on paper mount 28.5 x 34.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This photograph shows the partial reerection of columns and
wall in the damaged central section of the south side of the Parthenon
undertaken by Pittakis in the years 1842-1845. Pieces of timber protrude from
the southern corner of the structure propping up the surviving section of the
east pediment.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "No 7, Also signed
'Robertson' on back"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-8
Parthenon, from the northeast
Physical Description: 24.9 x 30.5 cm., on paper mount 28.3 x 35
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Marks from the roofs of small buildings, which until recently
had abutted the Parthenon, are visible on the columns of the east facade. The
Parthenon's use as a Christian church is also evident in this photograph.
Between the columns of the east facade, the lower courses of the Christian
apse, which were removed by 1862, are still visible.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson' on
back"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-9
Parthenon, interior from the southeast
Physical Description: 24.9 x 30.5 cm., on paper mount 28.7 x 34.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Fragments of architectural elements lay scattered across the
floor in this photograph of the interior of the Parthenon. Slabs of the
Parthenon frieze found in the 1833 excavations sit propped against the north
wall. Above this, the consolidation efforts of Pittakis can clearly be seen in
the brick lining used to reinforce the north wall. The damaged west door of the
Parthenon displays the Roman repairs but does not yet have the brick support
arch added in 1872. Traces of Christian wall painting are still evident,
especially the roundels on the west wall in the area that was the
baptistery.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "No 9, also signed 'Robertson
Constant' on back"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-10
Erechtheion, from the east
Physical Description: 24.9 x 30.5 cm., on paper mount 28.8 x 34.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Of all the structures on the Acropolis, the Erechtheion
sustained the most damage in the War of Independence. During the war, the north
and south walls had been almost leveled by the beseiged garrison's search for
lead-covered clamps. This photograph of the Erechtheion records the clearing of
the accumulated earth from the structure and the partial reerection of the
building carried out by Pittakis in the years from 1837 to 1840, especially the
partial rebuilding of the damaged north and south walls. The angle of this
photograph shows the bricks used to replace the inner facing of the orthostats
of the south wall. Also visible in this photograph is the block resting askew
on the architrave of the East porch. This block had been pushed out of the way
by Lord Elgin's men in the opening years of the 1800s and would not be set
right until the large-scale restoration of the building in the early 1900s. The
remains of medieval structures behind the Pinakotheke can be seen through the
columns of the north porch.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson' on
back"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-11
Erechtheion, from the southeast
Physical Description: 24.9 x 30.5 cm., on paper mount 28.2 x 34.6
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The camera angle of this photograph of the Erechtheion
provides a clear view of the exterior of the partially rebuilt south wall, from
the Caryatid porch to the east porch. Again the use of brick as an inner facing
and support is visible on the wall behind the partially rebuilt northeast
anta.
"Signed Robertson Constantinople' on back, No 11 (See
unmounted Dup – unsigned)"--annotation in pencil on the mount below the
image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-12
Erechtheion, from the southeast
Physical Description: 24.8 x 28.9 cm.
Scope and Content Note
The caption added to the mount of the previous photograph
indicates that this photograph is a duplicate print, but this is not the case.
It is a print from a different negative. Although the camera angle remains the
same, the shadows and the figures in the photograph have shifted slightly and
the photographs are different exposures. Robertson frequently reshot the same
scene varying the positioning and costuming of the figures.
"Robertson"--signed in negative, but not in Robertson's hand.
"Erechtheum"--inscribed in foreground on negative. "No. 11 by James Robertson
Constantinople"--annotation in pencil on verso of print.
Box 1
2001.R.1-13
Erechtheion, north porch from the east
Physical Description: 33.0 x 25.2 cm., on paper mount 35.1 x 28.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The walled-in north porch of the Erechtheion had served as a
powder magazine under the Turks. By the end of the war, bombardment had caused
the collapse of several columns and most of the roof. The north porch received
little attention during Pittakis's 1837-1840 work on the building. The western
columns were strengthened, including the addition of iron bands visible in the
photograph. The Archaeological Society conducted the primary work on the north
porch in 1844-1845. The Society removed the remains of the powder magazine and
cleared the blocked doorway into the main part of the structure.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed Robertson on
back, No 12 (Titled[)]"--annotation in pencil on mount below image. The image
is labeled "Erechtheum, Tetrastyle Portico of the Pandroseum" in the foreground
on the negative.
Box 1
2001.R.1-14
Erechtheion, from the west
Physical Description: 25.1 x 29.5 cm., on paper mount 28.7 x 34.1
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Before the War of Independence, the west wall of the
Erechtheion had been substantially intact, but by its end, after heavy
bombardment, only three of the semi-columns remained standing. In his 1837-1840
work, Pittakis consolidated these elements. However, those last three columns
were leveled by a huge storm, which hit Athens in October 1852. The absence of
the columns in Robertson's photographs of Athens provides a terminus post quem
for his trip to Athens. From this camera angle, remains of two Turkish
buildings to the east of the Erechtheion are visible through the columns of the
north and east porches. They had been spared demolition, because they were
being used for antiquities storage at this time.
"Robertson"-- signed in negative. "No 13"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.2001-15
Erechtheion, from the southwest
Physical Description: 25.4 x 29.8 cm., on paper mount 29.1 x 34.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The photograph again shows the substantial damage to the west
end of the Erechtheion. The angle allows a clear view of the later mortared
rubble structure overlaying the intact frieze course of the east side of the
north porch. Also visible behind the Erechtheion is the line of the north wall
of the Acropolis with its medieval crenellated battlements still in place.
"No 14, Signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on
back"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-16
Erechtheion, south porch from the
southwest
Physical Description: 33.3 x 25.2 cm., on paper mount 35.2 x 28.2
cm.
Scope and Content Note
In the early nineteenth century, the Caryatid porch of the
Erechtheion suffered first from the attentions of Lord Elgin's men and then the
bombardments of the war. In his 1837-1840 work on the building, Pittakis did
limited restoration on the porch, reerecting one fallen caryatid and
identifying pieces of others. The main restoration of the caryatid porch,
however, was conducted in 1846-1847 by the French architect A. Paccard and
funded by contributions from France. Paccard reerected the caryatids, including
a replica of the one taken by Elgin, and did substantial rebuilding on the
architrave and podium. In this photograph, the newly carved blocks stand out
whitely from their neighbors and patches of brickwork suggest Pittakis's hand.
Robertson's photographs of the Caryatid porch taken shortly after the Paccard
restoration capture the monument before the addition of wood and iron supports
was deemed necessary to carry the architrave in the 1860s.
"Signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-17
Temple of Athena Nike, from the east
Physical Description: 26.6 x 30.2 cm., on paper mount 28.2 x 35.2
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Just before the Venetian siege of 1687, the Turks demolished
the Temple of Athena Nike. The krepidoma of the temple remained substantially
intact and most of the upper elements of the temple were built into the gun
battery erected over the bastion. In 1835 Ludwig Ross, the first ephor of
antiquities, removed the Turkish bastion and Frankish fortifications covering
the western end of the Acropolis and found the remains of the temple. In
1835-1836, he reerected the temple, raising the north and east sides as high as
the architrave, while the two other sides were left half-finished. This was the
first large-scale restoration project on the Acropolis and had tremendous
symbolic importance for the new nation. The reconstruction of the building was
completed to frieze level by Pittakis in 1843-1844. The angle of this
photograph demonstrates the building's use as a storage depot. The "sandal
binder" slab from the parapet is visible through the central columns. This
photograph also appears to document an early, open stage in this use of the
building. The gates erected across the front of the temple, clearly visible in
photographs of the 1860s, are not seen here.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Titled, No 16, also signed
Robertson on back"--annotation in pencil on mount below image. Image labelled
as "The Temple of Victory Apteros" in right foreground on negative.
Box 1
2001.R.1-18
Temple of Athena Nike, from the southwest
Physical Description: 31.8 x 26.4 cm., on paper mount 35.3 x 30.1
cm.
Scope and Content Note
In the opening years of the 1800s, Lord Elgin's men had pulled
four slabs of the Nike temple's frieze out of the bastion. This photograph
shows the installation of casts of these blocks on the north side of the temple
in Pittakis's reconstruction.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, No 17"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-19
Olympieion, from the southeast, with Acropolis in the
background
Physical Description: 26.4 x 30.7 cm., on paper mount 30.3 x 34.6
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The gradual destruction of the Olympieion began as early as
the third century A.D., when parts of the precinct wall were removed for use in
a new city wall. This use of the temple as a ready source of building stone
continued throughout medieval and Turkish times. By the early nineteenth
century, the walls were completely gone and only 16 of the original 104 columns
remained standing: a group of 13 columns at the southeast corner and another
line of three columns further along the south side. The central column of this
group of three fell in the massive storm that hit Athens in October of
1852.
"Signed 'Robertson' on back, No 18"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-20
Olympieion, from the east
Physical Description: 31.9 x 25.3 cm., on paper mount 34.8 x 28.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Olympieion was a favorite subject of artists and
photographers in the ninteenth century. This popularity was due to the
preservation of the standing columns and the massive scale of the monument.
Robertson's inclusion of human figures in the composition dramatically
emphasizes the impressive size of the temple. Also visible on the right side of
this photograph is the south slope of the Acropolis with the Thrasyllos
Monument standing out sharply above the as yet unexcavated cavea of the Theater
of Dionysos.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson' on
back, No 19"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-21
Olympieion, from the southwest
Physical Description: 31.4 x 25.5 cm., on paper mount 34.7 x 28.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This photograph provides a clear view of the medieval
structure, often refered to as the hermitage of a stylite, atop the two
southernmost columns of the main surviving group of columns in the southeast
corner of the temple. This structure, which may actually have been some sort of
look-out tower, was removed in the 1870s.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed Robertson
Constantinople on back, No 20"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-22
Olympieion, from the west
Physical Description: 31.4 x 25.3 cm., on paper mount 34.7 x 29.2
cm.
Scope and Content Note
By the 1850s the Greek Archaeological Service was taking a
more conservative approach to the care of the monuments. Whereas archaeological
monuments and remains had previously just been part of the fabric of the city,
there was now a new concern with controlling general public access to the
antiquities. As can be seen in this photograph, the remains of the column that
fell in 1852, are fenced off and a guard house erected next to it.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed Robertson
Constantinople on back, No 21"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-23
Hephaisteion, from the southwest
Physical Description: 25.5 x 30.4 cm., on paper mount 28.8 x 34.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Hephaisteion had remained substantially intact since
antiquity due to its conversion to a Christian church in the seventh century
A.D. In 1834, by which time it was serving as the Church of St. George, the
government took over the building for use as the Central Archaeological Museum
and it would remain the main museum in Athens until 1874, when the Akropolis
Museum opened. The building continued to be used as a storage depot until the
1930s. The Hephaisteion's role as a museum is indicated in this photograph by
the presence of a guardhouse in the pteroma and the scattering of antiquities,
including a garland sarcophagus, around the exterior of the building.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed Robertson on
back, No 22"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-24
Hephaisteion, from the southeast
Physical Description: 25.4 x 30.4 cm., on paper mount 28.7 x 33.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
When the Hephaisteion was converted to a church in the seventh
century, a vaulted ceiling was added, as well as an apse at the end of the
building. The angle of this photograph clearly shows the modification of the
temple's roofline. The apse was removed when the building was converted to a
museum, thus this photograph shows the east end of the temple restored closer
to its original state. The statue standing on the south side of the building is
a Nike excavated at Megara in 1841.
"Signed Robertson Constantinople, No 23"--annotation in pencil
on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-25
Hephaisteion, from the northwest
Physical Description: 25.3 x 30.4 cm., on paper mount 28.8 x 34.3
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This photograph shows an early consolidation attempt on the
northwest corner column of the Hephaisteion. In 1820, iron bands were used to
stabilize the column, which had been damaged when lightning struck the
building.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, No 24"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-26
Tower of the Winds, from the north
Physical Description: 31.4 x 24.8 cm., on paper mount 35.2 x 28
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Tower of the Winds, the popular name of the Horologion of
Andronikos, survived from antiquity substantially intact. It was first
converted to Christian use, and much later during the Turkish occupation, the
partially buried building served as a tekke or meeting place for dervishes.
After the War of Independence, Pittakis cleared the accumulated earth from the
inside and the immediate area outside the monument in a series of
investigations and small-scale excavations from 1838 to 1842. From 1843 to
1875, the building was used for antiquities storage.
Robertson's photograph shows a small clear area around the
monument, but the adjacent area is still encumbered by late walls and
structures. The new mid-century concern with controling access to the
antiquities and monuments is expressed by the fence and the presence of the
seated guard.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, No 25"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-27
Tower of the Winds, from the
west/southwest
Physical Description: 31.4 x 24.9 cm., on paper mount 35.2 x 28.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This photograph was taken from the unexcavated area to the
west of the Tower of the Winds, as indicated by the high ground level and the
remains of a late wall.
"Signed 'Robertson Constant' on back, No 26"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-28
Tower of the Winds, from the southeast
Physical Description: 32.9 x 25.7 cm., on paper mount 35.3 x 29.1
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Again, the high ground level in relation to the structure and
the remains of the late wall indicate that Robertson shot this photograph from
an unexcavated area adjacent to the monument. The angle of this photograph also
clearly shows the new bronze sundial gnomons added in 1845-1846 to the sides of
the monument just under the frieze.
"No 27, Signed 'Roberson (sic) Constant' on back"--annotation
in pencil on mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-29
Tower of the Winds, from the south
Physical Description: 25.2 x 30.3 cm., on paper mount 28.5 x 34.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This wider-angle photograph of the Tower of the Winds places
the monument in its context. The arches of the so-called Agoranomion fill the
left foreground and a large clock tower stands in the middle background. The
clock was given to Athens by Ludwig of Bavaria in 1848. It replaced the tower
built by the city to house the clock given by Lord Elgin in 1814 as part of the
deal for the removal of the Parthenon sculptures. Elgin's clock was destroyed
in the War of Independence. Ludwig's clock and tower would be destroyed in a
fire in 1885.
"Signed 'Robertson' on back, No 28"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 1
2001.R.1-30
Arch of Hadrian, from the west
Physical Description: 32.8 x 24.9 cm., on paper mount 35.2 x 28.4
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Arch of Hadrian still shows traces of its post-Classical
history in this photograph. Originally built as a free-standing monument, the
arch was eventually incorporated into the Turkish circuit wall, Haseki's Wall,
in 1788 and used as a gate. The attic or second story of the arch most clearly
shows these later changes to the monument. The marble slabs blocking the
central arch were part of the original Roman design. However, the masonry
blocking the side arches is either Christian, relating to possible use of the
second story as a chapel, or Turkish, related to the incorporation into
Haseki's wall. These attic walls fell in 1861.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constant' on back, Titled, No 29"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Image labelled as "The Arch of Hadrian with the Temple of Jupiter" in right
foreground on negative.
Box 1
2001.R.1-31
Arch of Hadrian, from the east
Physical Description: 32.3 x 25.6 cm., on paper mount 35.2 x 30
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, No 30"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-32
Lysikrates Monument, from the northwest
Physical Description: 31.8 x 25.7 cm., on paper mount 35.1 x 29.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Lysikrates Monument, a choregic monument of 335/334 B.C.,
has remained visible throughout its history. In 1699 it was built into the
Capuchin monastery and served as a library reading-room until the monastery was
destroyed in the War for Independence. This photograph captures the monument
shortly after it was freed from the rubble of the monastery in 1845. The
damaged, but substantially intact monument stands in a small cleared area. In
the late 1860s the area of the monument was further cleared and a small wall
added in preparation for the visit of Empress Eugénie of France before the full
restoration of the Lysikrates Monument in 1876.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, No 31"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-33
Gate of Athena Archegetis, from the
southwest
Physical Description: 31.5 x 24.8 cm., on paper mount 34.6 x 28.7
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Gate of Athena Archegetis, the western gateway of the
Roman Agora, had been the only visible ancient structure in this area in the
early nineteenth century and would remain so until the excavation of the Roman
Agora in 1890. Differences in the patination on the right column and anta show
where part of the gate had been built into the Church of the Sotira until the
mid 1840s.
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, No 32"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-34
Library of Hadrian, from the west
Physical Description: 31.1 x 25.7 cm., on paper mount 35.1 x 29.3
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Remnants of Turkish Athens are still visible in this
photograph of the west facade of the Library of Hadrian, known in the
nineteenth century as the Stoa of Hadrian. A partial view of the Tzisdaraki
mosque occupies the left side of the photograph, and the foreground shows an
array of market tables set up in front of the fenced-off facade of the Library.
This area of Athens, which had housed the Turkish bazaar, continued to serve as
a market area in the liberated city. At the time of this photograph, the
Library of Hadrian served as a storage facility for antiquities.
"Signed 'Robertson' on back, No 33"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-35
Areopagus, from the southeast
Physical Description: 23.9 x 29.1 cm., on paper mount 27.7 x 34.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The city of Athens can be glimpsed behind the rock of the
Areopagus in this photograph. Yet, what is remarkable is how little there is to
see. At the right side of the frame, small, low buildings form the population
nucleus north of the Acropolis, but a seemingly empty landscape stretches off
toward Mount Hymettos in the distance.
"Signed 'Robertson' on back, No 34"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-36
Philopappos Monument
Physical Description: 28.6 x 25.2 cm., on paper mount 34 x 28.7
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Due to its prominent location on the Museion Hill, the
Philopappos Monument has remained well-known since antiquity. The monument has
changed little since having been mined for blocks in the medieval period,
suffering relatively minor damage in the Turko-Venetian War and in the War of
Independence. Robertson's photograph shows the graffiti-covered monument in
generally the same state as a variety of early nineteenth century depictions.
Having been excavated and consolidated by the Archaeological Service in
1898-1899, the Philopappos Monument appears substantially the same today.
"Robertson"--signed on print. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, (see unmounted Dup. unsigned), No 35"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-37
Philopappos Monument
Physical Description: 27.9 x 25.8 cm.
Scope and Content Note
Unmounted print of the image above.
"No. 35 by James Roberson (sic)"--annotation in pencil on
verso of print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-38
Odeion of Herodes Attikos, from the
southwest
Physical Description: 25.1 x 28.4 cm., on paper mount 28.4 x 34.2
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Only the upper stories poke out of the accumulated fill in
this photograph of the Odeion of Herodes Attikos. The Greek Archaeological
Society excavated the Odeion in the period from 1848-1858. Robertson's
photograph reflects an early stage in this work. At the right of the
photograph, the Turkish Serpentzes wall continues the southern line of the
Odeion across the south slope of the Acropolis. The wall was finally demolished
in 1876 as part of the excavation of the Asklepeion.
"No 36, signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on
back"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-39
Gorgoepikoos
Physical Description: 25.7 x 29 cm., on paper mount 29.6 x 34.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The Church of the Panagia Gorgoepikoos, also known as the
Little Metropolis, stands today adjacent to the Metropolis, the cathedral of
Athens. Under construction sporadically in the period from 1842 to 1862, the
Metropolis is just out of frame to the left, but it accounts for the various
construction debris and piles of dirt visible in Robertson's photograph. This
photograph also documents changes to the Gorgoepikoos church itself. A bell
tower added in the Turkish period had been removed by the time of this
photograph, returning the church to its original Byzantine form.
"No 37, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-40
View of Athens with Palace and Acropolis, from
Lycabettus
Physical Description: 24.9 x 29.1 cm., on paper mount 28.4 x 35
cm.
Scope and Content Note
Although the Acropolis hovers over the city in the background,
the new buildings of Athens form the focus of this photograph. The Palace of
King Otto, now the Greek Parliament building, built from 1836 to 1843 fills the
center of the scene, with the newly planted Royal Garden, begun in 1837 and
finished in 1862, spreading out behind it. The Palace was the first large-scale
building project in the city after independence and its Neoclassical style set
the standard for the architectural development of the city in the following
decades. Also in the Neoclassical style and standing out from the smaller
houses, the Dimitriou Mansion, built in 1842, occupies the right side of the
photograph. Later converted to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, this house dominates
the north side of Syntagma Square. In the foreground, the area of Kolonaki
remains open fields.
"No 38, signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on
back"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-41
View of Athens with the Acropolis and the Olympieion,
from the southeast
Physical Description: 24.8 x 29.1 cm., on paper mount 28.5 x 35
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The old and the new Athens coexist in this view of the city
and the Acropolis. The modernization and excavations of the 1840s have left
their mark in the form of the large dumps spreading down the south slope of the
Acropolis. The excavation of the Theater of Dionysos beginning in 1862 and the
removal of the dumped earth in the mid 1870s would significantly alter the
appearance of the south slope. Yet the city of Athens still retains its Ottoman
outline in this view. The houses appear to remain within the lines of Haseki's
Wall, which began to be demolished in 1834 in order to lay out the Boulevard of
Queen Amalia. Also at the base of the Acropolis, the Serpentzes wall is visible
following the line of the Odeon of Herodes Attikos and the Stoa of Eumenes.
"Signed 'Robertson' on back, No 39"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-42
View of the Hephaisteion, from the northwest, with the
Acropolis in the background
Physical Description: 24.7 x 29.3 cm., on paper mount 29 x 33.8
cm.
Scope and Content Note
The composition of this photograph emphasizes the small size
of Athens even in the mid 1850s. At this time, the city appears to be only a
small cluster of houses sheltering at the base of the Acropolis, with the
entire foreground of the photograph filled with plowed fields. The empty area
of the Kolonos Agoraios had been a traditional gathering place for public
festivities, but by the end of the century a public garden and general urban
development will fill much of this area. But for now, the line of the wall of
Haseki, built in 1778, is still clearly visible, running across the middle
ground of the photograph just to the west of the Hephaisteion.
"Signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on back, No 40 (see
unmounted & unsigned Dup.)"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-43
View of the Hephaisteion, from the northwest, with the
Acropolis in the background
Physical Description: 23.9 x 30 cm.
Scope and Content Note
Unmounted print of the image above.
"No. 40 by James Robertson"--annotation in pencil on verso of
print.
Box 2
Relief sculpture from the Nike balustrade
Scope and Content Note
The sculpture from the Nike balustrade, excavated in 1835, was
stored inside the Temple of Athena Nike until it was moved to the Acropolis
Museum in the mid 1870s.
Box 2
2001.R.1-44
Two Nikai leading an ox to sacrifice
Physical Description: 29.3 x 24.5 cm., on paper mount 34.2 x 28.4
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson"--signed on print. "Also signed 'Robertson
Constantinople' on back, Titled in Pencil, No 41"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image. "41 Alto Relievo in Temple of Victory"-- title in pencil on
print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-45
Sandal binder
Physical Description: 23.6 x 16.2 cm., on paper mount 34.7 x 28.2
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"No 42, signed 'Robertson' on back, Titled in Pencil, No
41"--annotation in pencil on mount below image. "42 Alto Relievo in Temple of
Victory"-- title in pencil on print.
Box 2
Relief sculpture from the Parthenon frieze
Scope and Content Note
The earliest archaeological work in Athens after the War of
Independence focused on the Parthenon. In the years 1833-1836 slabs of the
Parthenon frieze, thrown from the building in the 1687 explosion, were
excavated and recovered from later structures. The following photographs are
individual images of the ten slabs lined up along the north wall of the cella,
which can be seen in Robertson's photograph of the interior of the Parthenon.
These close-ups of the sculpture often show the reinforcing brickwork of the
cella wall repairs in the background. This sculpture was moved to the Acropolis
Museum in the mid 1870s. The numbering used here for the frieze slabs is that
of the revised Jenkins/British Museum system. Where pertinent, the older
Michaelis numbering is given in parentheses.
Box 2
2001.R.1-46 and 47
North X, elders and North XXXVI (XXXI),
riders
Physical Description: 2 prints on single mount; 12.3 x 13.6 cm. and 11.9 x
14.1 cm., on paper mount 35 x 29.3 cm.
Scope and Content Note
"No. 43, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in pencil
on mount below each image. "43"--annotation in pencil on upper print. "43.
Frieze of the Parthenon"--annotation in pencil on lower print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-48 and 49
North XXXIV (XXIX), riders and North XIX,
apobates
Physical Description: 2 prints on single mount; 12 x 13.8 cm. and 11.3 x
12.9 cm., on paper mount 34.5 x 28 cm.
Scope and Content Note
"4, No. 44, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below each image. "Frieze of Parthenon 43 3"--annotation in
pencil on upper print. "44 4"--annotation in pencil on lower print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-50 and 51
North XXIII (XVII), apobates and North IV, youths
leading sheep
Physical Description: 2 prints on single mount; 11.4 x 12.7 cm. and 12.1 x
14 cm., on paper mount 34.7 x 28 cm.
Scope and Content Note
"5, No. 45, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below upper image. "43 5"--annotation in pencil on upper print.
"6, No. 45, signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on back"--annotation in pencil on
mount below lower image."45 6"--annotation in pencil on lower print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-52
North VIII, lyre-players
Physical Description: 13.6 x 12.5 cm., on paper mount 18 x 28.7
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"7, No. 46, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image. "46 7"--annotation in pencil on print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-53
North II, youths leading cattle
Physical Description: 11.9 x 14.5 cm., on paper mount 18 x 29
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"8, No. 46, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image. "46 8"--annotation in pencil on print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-54
East VI, Poseidon, Apollo and Artemis
Physical Description: 12.9 x 14.5 cm., on paper mount 17.4 x 29
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"9, No. 47, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image. "47 9"--annotation in pencil on print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-55
North VI, water-bearers
Physical Description: 13.5 x 14.3 cm., on paper mount 19.8 x 28.2
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"10, No. 47, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in
pencil on mount below image. "47 10"--annotation in pencil on print.
Box 2
Photographs of Sounion
Scope and Content Note
The remains of the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion had long served
as inspiration for travelers and artists in Greece. The ruins perched on the
promontory above the sea had become an iconic image of Greece and neighboring
Athens. The condition of the ruins did not change appreciably during the
nineteenth century until excavations began in 1870.
Box 2
2001.R.1-56
Temple of Poseidon, from the northeast
Physical Description: 25.3 x 30 cm., on paper mount 29.2 x 34.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"No 48, signed 'Robertson' on back"--annotation in pencil on
mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-57
Temple of Poseidon, from the northwest
Physical Description: 24.9 x 30 cm., on paper mount 28.6 x 34.7
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson"--signed in negative. "No 49, also signed
'Robertson' on back"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-58
Temple of Apollo, from the west
Physical Description: 24.8 x 30.7 cm., on paper mount 28.9 x 34.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
In early the 1800s European travelers to Corinth documented
that the seven remaining columns of Temple of Apollo had been incorporated into
Turkish structures. Images and accounts from after the War of Independence,
however, show these structures gone, presumably destroyed in the fighting.
Robertson's photograph captures the unexcavated remains of the temple within
the newly liberated Greek village. This situation would soon change. In 1858 a
devastating earthquake led to the general abandonment of the village, and
initial excavations at the temple began in 1886. The modern building at the far
left of the photograph is most probably the so-called Capodistrias schoolhouse,
covering a part of the northeastern end of the temple. The structure at the
right of the photograph with the signboard over the door has possibly been
identified as the former governor's house, then converted to a police station,
or perhaps the "New Hotel of Great Britain."
"Signed 'Robertson Constant' on back, See unmounted &
unsigned Dup, No 50 -- 1, N 1"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-59
Temple of Apollo, from the west
Physical Description: 24 x 30.4 cm.
Scope and Content Note
Unmounted print of the image above.
"No. 50 by James Roberson (sic)"--annotation in pencil on
verso of print.
Box 2
2001.R.1-60
Temple of Apollo, from the south
Physical Description: 25.3 x 30.1 cm., on paper mount 29.3 x 35
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Signed 'Robertson Constantinople' on back, No 51 - 2, N.
2"--annotation in pencil on mount below image.
Box 2
Photographs of Aegina
Scope and Content Note
The standing architectural remains of the Temple of Aphaia on
the island of Aegina had long attracted travelers. Robertson's photographs
record the temple's state of preservation after intervention in the early part
of the century. In 1811 a party of artists and architects including C.R.
Cockerell and Baron Haller von Hallerstein had begun digging around the ruins
and unearthed the temple's pedimental sculpture, which was eventually sold to
Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria.
Box 2
2001.R.1-61
Temple of Athena Aphaia, from the
southeast
Physical Description: 25.5 x 30.8 cm., on paper mount 29.3 x 34.6
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"No 52 - 1, N. 1"--annotation in pencil on mount below
image.
Box 2
2001.R.1-62
Temple of Athena Aphaia, from the
southwest
Physical Description: 26 x 31.4 cm., on paper mount 29.1 x 35
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"No 53 - 2, N. 3"--annotation in pencil on mount below
image.
Series II.
Photographs of Constantinople and Egypt,
circa 1853-1857,
undated
Physical Description:
1.8 linear feet
1
box
Scope and Content Note
By the mid-nineteenth century, the eastern Mediterranean had
grown to be an essential part of British economic and political strategy, and
as such became an object of interest for the British public. The Ottoman Empire
was now Britain's ally and presented an intriguing blend of East and West to
the European viewer. Egypt also played a vital role in British access to India,
while retaining its important historical associations.
James Robertson is best known for his images of Constantinople.
The few photographs of Constantinople found in this collection are
representative of his architectural studies of the city, capturing monuments
dating from the Late Roman to the Ottoman periods.
The two photographs of Egypt stand out from the rest of the
collection in both technique and details. These two prints, and the print of
the Süleymaniye Mosque in Constantinople, are the only standard albumen prints
in the collection. The photograph of the Sphinx is a late work, bearing the
joint signature of Robertson and Beato. Although the Beato portion of the
signature is cut off on this print, its presence is confirmed by other prints
from the same negative. The thirteenth century Mamluk Mosque of Baybars in
Cairo is a more obscure monument. This unsigned photograph is not otherwise
attested in the work of Robertson or Felice Beato and may be by another
photographer.
Box 3
Photographs of Constantinople,
circa 1853-1857
Box 3
2001.R.1-63
Galata Tower and fortifications,
circa
1853-1857
Physical Description: 30 x 25.8 cm., on paper mount 34.3 x 29.3
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson"--signed in negative.
Box 3
2001.R.1-64
Süleymaniye Mosque,
circa 1857
Physical Description: 25.9 x 30.4 cm., on paper mount 29.8 x 36
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson & Beato photog."--signed in negative. "La
Sulimanie"--annotation on print. "Cleaned & remounted 13/9/72 C. Cloney.
The Great Mosque of Saint Sophia (sic), Constantinople, by Robertson &
Beato c. 1857"--annotation on back of mount.
Box 3
2001.R.1-65
Hippodrome square with obelisks,
circa 1853
Physical Description: 29.9 x 26.2 cm., on paper mount 34 x 28.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson"--signed in negative.
Box 3
2001.R.1-66
Fountain of Ahmed III,
circa 1853
Physical Description: 24.4 x 29.5 cm., on paper mount 29 x 33.6
cm.
Box 3
2001.R.1-67
Landing and Kiliç Ali Pasha Mosque,
circa
1853-1857
Physical Description: 29.9 x 26.2 cm., on paper mount 34 x 28.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Robertson"--signed in negative.
Box 3
Photographs of Egypt,
circa
1857,
undated
Box 3
2001.R.1-68
Sphinx,
circa
1857
Physical Description: 23.1 x 30.8 cm., on paper mount 25 x 31.9
cm.
Scope and Content Note
This photograph's mount bears the date "1862." Presumably this
annotation refers to an acquisition date in this print's history. The negative
would have been taken during Robertson and Beato's trip to Egypt in 1857.
"Robertson & [ ]"--inscribed in negative. "Robertson &
?? Probably Beato"--annotation in ink and pencil on mount below image. "1862"--
annotation in ink on mount below image.
Box 3
2001.R.1-69
Northeast gate of Sultan al-Zahir Baybars
Mosque,
undated
Physical Description: 26.4 x 20.2 cm., on mount 29.1 x 22.5
cm.
Scope and Content Note
"Abbasseyeh Gate. Cairo"--annotation in pencil on mount below
image.
