19th-century Orientalist Photo Album By P. Sébah (circa 1880–1900)

Vintage Photo Album – Orientalism & Central Europe (circa 1880–1900)

Set of 36 albumen prints – Pascal Sébah & German studios

Rare vintage photo album featuring 26 Orientalist views attributed to the Pascal Sébah studio (Istanbul / Cairo) and 10 German architectural views (Vienna, Trieste), printed between 1875 and 1895.

A comprehensive record of a European traveler journeying through the Ottoman Empire and then Central Europe in the late 19th century.

Album contents

Orientalist section – 26 photographs

Albumen prints featuring:

• Ottoman figures and costumes, street scenes, porters, merchants.
• Whirling dervishes, ritual poses, and interior scenes.
• Ethnographic portraits (mullahs, dignitaries, artisans).
• Architectural views: carved doors, decorated facades, traditional houses.
• Scenes from Cairo, including the Tombs of the Caliphs.
• Groups, markets, scenes of daily life, typical of Sébah’s work.

Each photograph is mounted on its original cardboard backing; several bear a printed caption or a catalog number.

European Section – 10 photographs

Views of Vienna and Trieste, high-quality albumen prints:

• Rathaus (New City Hall)
• Burgtheater
• University of Vienna
• Heinrichshof
• Nordbahnhof
• Parliament
• Schönbrunn and its Gloriette
• Piazza Grande in Trieste

A cohesive collection, reflecting a comprehensive tour of Imperial Europe.

This album is particularly appealing due to:

• the quality of the prints, which are well-preserved and feature the warm tones characteristic of albumen prints;
• the variety of Orientalist subjects, covering costumes, rituals, architecture, and scenes of daily life;
• the inclusion of prestigious European views, which complement the travel narrative;
• historical coherence: albums blending the Orient and Europe were typical of travelers to the Levant between 1880 and 1900.

Sébah’s Orientalist photographs are now sought after for their documentary and aesthetic value, and serve as a reference in the history of Ottoman photography.

Dating

Circa 1880–1900 for the compilation of the album.

Orientalist prints: 1870–1890.

Germanic views: 1875–1895.

Condition

Albumen prints mounted on original cardboard.

Complete, coherent album, showing a beautiful overall freshness.

A rare and complete collection: A rich, varied, and authentic travel album, bringing together two major photographic worlds of the 19th century:

the Ottoman East as seen by Sébah, and imperial Europe as captured by the Viennese studios.

The original captions are complete, perfectly legible, and reinforce the collection’s documentary integrity.

The albumen prints show slight peripheral curling, a phenomenon entirely characteristic of 19th-century photographic techniques.

This curling of the edges, caused by the natural shrinkage of the albumin layer and the tension in the paper substrate, generally appears around the edges of the images, which curve or lift slightly.

This is a normal structural change inherent to the process and has no impact on the legibility or quality of the prints.

This type of distortion is to be expected in old photographs and in no way affects the documentary or aesthetic value of the collection.

The original binding, which is sturdy and uniform, gives the album its authentic character and collector’s appeal.

The set is complete, uniform, and in good condition; the photos are not pinholed, torn, or creased. Ideal for the discerning collector.

Dimensions: Photos 20 x 27 - Album 27 x 40