Souvenir d'Algérie, 1889

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Summary

Title:

Souvenir d'Algérie

Dates:

1889

Abstract:

Photographs taken by an amateur photographer of sights and everyday life in late-nineteenth century Algiers are presented in two portfolios each titled Souvenir d'Algérie.

Extent:

2.33 Linear Feet

Language:

Collection material is in French

Preferred citation:

Souvenir d'Algérie, 1889, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2008.R.15"

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2008r15

Background

Scope and content:

The 78 albumen photographs in these two portfolios, taken by an unidentified amateur photographer in 1889, comprise typical tourist views as well as images of a more quotidian nature, indicating that they are the personal documentation of the maker's extended stay as a French colonial in Algeria. Included are scenes of city workers and the marketplace; views of women tending graves in a cemetery and carrying bundles in the street; images of a coachman in Arab-style livery driving a horse and buggy and riding a trotting horse; views of a man in Western dress feeding chickens and tending a garden; and photographs of local flora (two captions record the time of year and the height of the plants) and floral arrangements or baskets of plants. Several photographs labeled "études" or "études d'instantané" depict dogs and horses in motion, suggesting the artistic or scientific interests of the photographer.

The photographs are housed in two red cloth tie portfolios with gilt-stamped titles. They are mounted on 55 heavy card stock with letterpress French captions and irregular enumeration (ranging from 123 to 914; three photographs are unnumbered). Most mounts contain two photographs.

Arrangement

Arranged by negative numbers as they appear on the mounts, with the number for the upper image coming first (ie. in some cases the higher number is assigned to the upper photograph on the mount).

Biographical / historical:

The photographs were taken by an unidentified amateur photographer, likely a French colonial, during an extensive stay in Algeria in the late-nineteenth century.

Processing information:

In 2013 the collection was processed by Lilly Tsukahira and the finding aid was written by Beth Ann Guynn.

Physical location:

Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Photographs, Original
Albumen prints -- Algeria -- 19th century

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:: Beth Ann Guynn
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2021-02-25 15:36:02 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:: Open for use by qualified researchers.
Terms of access:: Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.