Felix Bonfils (1831–1885) Street Coffee Vendor In The Streets Of Jerusalem, C. 1870 Albumen Print

Vintage albumen print signed by Bonfils

Street coffee vendor in the streets of Jerusalem

In 1870, during the Ottoman period, Jerusalem’s street coffee vendors played a central economic and social role in the daily life of the Old City. True street institutions, they embodied the art of living and the hospitality of the Middle East.

The street coffee vendor of 1870 was a very well-groomed figure, instantly recognizable in the narrow streets. He wore a red tarbouch (fez) on his head and was dressed in a long traditional robe (thobe or gumbaz).

Customers stop at a street corner or near a historic monument to enjoy their cup of coffee while discussing local news. He serves both local residents (Muslims, Christians, Jews) and the first significant waves of pilgrims and Western tourists who were rediscovering the Holy Land during this period.

Felix Bonfils was a French photographer (1831–1885). He learned photography from Niepce de Saint-Victor, the nephew of Nicéphore Niepce.

He opened his photography studio in 1867 in Beirut, Lebanon, where he specialized in architecture and landscapes of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Greece.

- Mounted, 40x50 cm

- Photo size: 22 x 28.1 cm

Link to the website https://www.lavalisearlesienne.com/product-page/felix-bonfils-1831-1885-street-coffee-vendor-in-the-streets-of-Jerusalem-c-1870