Spanning roughly one hundred years, the collection of over 6,000 photographic images forms a visual record of the late years of the Ottoman Empire and the formation and early years of the Republic of Turkey. The collection focuses on cultural and urban images, mainly of Constantinople (Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, but other geographic areas, such as the Balkans, and other cities and towns within the empire such as Bursa and Smyrna (Izmir) are included, as are a few images from sites in Greece, Egypt, Jerusalem, India and China. The work of over 165 photographers is represented in the collection. The collection is supported by a small group of pamphlets and offprints regarding photography in the Ottoman Empire and by a small assemblage of photographic ephemera.

Pierre de Gigord, a French business man, is one of seven children born to Colonel François de Gigord and Anne Agnès Thérèse "Solange" d'Ussel. His father instilled an early love of travel in the young Gigord. In 1964 en route to a hitchhiking trip to India Gigord stopped first in Istanbul where an aunt, Mme. H. de Saint Peine, granddaughter of the founder of the Banque ottomane and régie des tabacs, introduced him to the city. Fascinated by the city, Gigord began to make yearly trips to the Bosporus which he financed by importing traditional Turkish crafts, such as jewelry and textiles, to France. In 1969 he founded Anastasia, a ready-to-wear folkloric-inspired line of clothing. He further expanded his business in 2002 with the opening of the Diwali boutiques specializing in jewelry and accessories from India.

243.7 Linear Feet (176 boxes, 2 flatfile folders, 1 frame)

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