Middle Eastern and North African views and portraits, circa 1870-circa 1900

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Summary

Creators:
Bonfils, Félix, 1831-1885, Bonfils, and Béchard, Henri
Abstract:
This collection of albumen prints dates from the last quarter of the nineteenth century and comprises views and portraits from North Africa and the Middle East, some of which are signed "Bonfils."
Extent:
32 photographic prints
Language:
Collection material is in French and English.
Preferred citation:

Middle Eastern and North African views and portraits, circa 1870-circa 1900, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 93.R.72

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa93r72

Background

Scope and content:

This collection of albumen prints dates from the last quarter of the nineteenth century and comprises three groups of images: eight unmounted photographs; 16 photographs mounted recto and verso on eight loose blue album leaves; and eight photographs mounted recto and verso on four loose buff album leaves. Four of the unmounted photographs and 14 of those mounted on blue leaves are signed "Bonfils." These images include studio or otherwise posed portraits of camel drivers, Bedouin musicians, Egyptian dancers and singers, and a variety of young women identified as being "mauresque," Egyptian, or Turkish, plus one image of a group of young girls on a road near Mt. Carmel. Geographic locales include Algeria (a mosque and a neighborhood vegetable stand); Syria (Baalbek, a palace door); and Rhodes (rue des Chevaliers).

Images in the group on buff leaves, all unsigned (though two are attributed on the mount to Bonfils), are from an album compiled by an English couple touring Egypt and vicinity. Captioned locales include Luxor (Thebes), the pyramids, and Petra, and include the date of the visit. Of particular interest are two images of a man and woman in European dress ascending and descending the Great Pyramid at Giza with the assistance of many local guides (attributed on the mount to Béchard).

Biographical / historical:

Eighteen photographs are signed Bonfils in the negative, and two others are attibuted to Bonfils. The Bonfils family operated a photographic studio in Beirut from 1867 to 1918. Félix Bonfils produced most of the early work; his wife, Lydie, son, Adrien, and various assistants were responsible for the later work. One image is attributed to Henri Béchard, who was active in Egypt in the 1870s and 1880s.

Acquisition information:
Acquired in 1993.
Processing information:

Processed and cataloged by Beth Ann Guynn; finding aid encoded by Holly Larson with grant funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

Arrangement:

Arranged in three series: Series I. Photographic prints mounted on blue album leaves; Series II. Photographic prints mounted on buff album leaves; Series III. Photographic prints, unmounted.

Physical location:
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Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Terms of access:

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Preferred citation:

Middle Eastern and North African views and portraits, circa 1870-circa 1900, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 93.R.72

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa93r72

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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