B-002
Antique Album with 18 Photos of the Zangaki Brothers, Egypt 1899
An album from 1899 containing 18 albumen prints of the Zangaki brothers. Scenes of daily life and monuments in Egypt. Original cover with a dedication.
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Antique Album with 18 Photos by the Zangaki Brothers, Egypt 1899
This extraordinary album titled Ricordo dEgitto (Memories of Egypt) brings together a stunning collection of 18 albumen prints taken by the renowned Zangaki brothers during their prolific photographic career in Egypt. The piece, dated 1899 thanks to a handwritten dedication inside, constitutes a visual record of great historical and aesthetic value depicting the life, people, and most iconic monuments of Egypt in the mid-19th century.
The album retains its original period binding, with hard covers lined in black cloth, decorated with fillets and the central inscription RICORDO DEGITTO engraved in gold letters. Its interior is lined with vibrant red velvet that carefully protects each of the photographic prints. On the front endpaper is a heartfelt dedication written in Spanish, signed in Alexandria in January 1899, in which the album is presented as a travel gift, thus adding an extra layer of sentimental and historical value.
The perfectly preserved images are mounted on card stock and depict scenes of daily life, local figures in traditional attire, riverside landscapes along the Nile, and historical monumentsamong which a striking view of the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza stands out. Each photograph bears a brief caption in French, inscribed on the negative, as well as the signature Zangaki, the hallmark of these two Greek photographers whose work is now sought after by international collectors.
The Zangaki brothers carried out their photographic work in Egypt between 1870 and 1890, dedicating themselves to documenting with sensitivity and detail both the great archaeological treasures and the daily life of the countrys inhabitants. Their images, printed on albumen paper using the Blanquart-Evrard processthe most widely used method in the second half of the 19th centurywere sold as travel souvenirs to European visitors fascinated by the exoticism of the East.
This album is a collectors item, exceptional for its condition, the quality of its prints, and the significance of its creators. Ideal both for enriching a photographic collection and for display in a decorative space inspired by Orientalism or historicism, it adds character and sophistication wherever it is placed.
A visual and documentary gem that captures the spirit of nineteenth-century Egypt and travel photography at the height of its splendor.
Dont miss the opportunity to acquire this unique work, whose authenticity and rarity make it a valuable cultural investment.
Dimensions: 32 × 38 cm (12.5 × 14.9 in).
History of the Zangaki Brothers
The Zangaki brothers, Constantin and George, were two Greek photographers active primarily in Egypt during the final decades of the 19th century. Although their place of birth and many biographical details are unknown, their photographic legacy is widely recognized in collecting circles and among scholars of early Middle Eastern photography.
They began their work in the 1870s, establishing their base in Port Said, a key city for commercial traffic through the Suez Canal. From there, they undertook journeys throughout the country to capture urban, rural, and archaeological scenes. Their work is characterized by meticulous attention to composition, technical precision, and an aesthetic sensibility that balanced European Orientalist romanticism with an accurate depiction of local reality.
Unlike other foreign photographers of the time, the Zangakis did not focus solely on Pharaonic ruins. They also documented everyday aspects of Egyptian life: souks, cafés, families, workers, caravans, soldiers, and landscapes of the desert or the Nile.
They sold their images to European tourists undertaking the traditional Grand Tour or traveling to Egypt following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which turned the country into a fashionable tourist destination. Their photographs were sold mounted on card stock or in albums like this one, which were exported or brought back to Europe as exotic souvenirs.
The signature Zangaki appears handwritten or printed on the negatives, making it easy to identify their work. Many of their photos are now found in highly prestigious public and private collections, including museums such as the Getty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The value of their photographs lies not only in their beauty and rarity, but also in their documentary function: they offer us a unique window into Egyptian society from over a century ago, captured with both an artistic and an anthropological perspective.
This extraordinary album titled Ricordo dEgitto (Memories of Egypt) brings together a stunning collection of 18 albumen prints taken by the renowned Zangaki brothers during their prolific photographic career in Egypt. The piece, dated 1899 thanks to a handwritten dedication inside, constitutes a visual record of great historical and aesthetic value depicting the life, people, and most iconic monuments of Egypt in the mid-19th century.
The album retains its original period binding, with hard covers lined in black cloth, decorated with fillets and the central inscription RICORDO DEGITTO engraved in gold letters. Its interior is lined with vibrant red velvet that carefully protects each of the photographic prints. On the front endpaper is a heartfelt dedication written in Spanish, signed in Alexandria in January 1899, in which the album is presented as a travel gift, thus adding an extra layer of sentimental and historical value.
The perfectly preserved images are mounted on card stock and depict scenes of daily life, local figures in traditional attire, riverside landscapes along the Nile, and historical monumentsamong which a striking view of the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza stands out. Each photograph bears a brief caption in French, inscribed on the negative, as well as the signature Zangaki, the hallmark of these two Greek photographers whose work is now sought after by international collectors.
The Zangaki brothers carried out their photographic work in Egypt between 1870 and 1890, dedicating themselves to documenting with sensitivity and detail both the great archaeological treasures and the daily life of the countrys inhabitants. Their images, printed on albumen paper using the Blanquart-Evrard processthe most widely used method in the second half of the 19th centurywere sold as travel souvenirs to European visitors fascinated by the exoticism of the East.
This album is a collectors item, exceptional for its condition, the quality of its prints, and the significance of its creators. Ideal both for enriching a photographic collection and for display in a decorative space inspired by Orientalism or historicism, it adds character and sophistication wherever it is placed.
A visual and documentary gem that captures the spirit of nineteenth-century Egypt and travel photography at the height of its splendor.
Dont miss the opportunity to acquire this unique work, whose authenticity and rarity make it a valuable cultural investment.
Dimensions: 32 × 38 cm (12.5 × 14.9 in).
History of the Zangaki Brothers
The Zangaki brothers, Constantin and George, were two Greek photographers active primarily in Egypt during the final decades of the 19th century. Although their place of birth and many biographical details are unknown, their photographic legacy is widely recognized in collecting circles and among scholars of early Middle Eastern photography.
They began their work in the 1870s, establishing their base in Port Said, a key city for commercial traffic through the Suez Canal. From there, they undertook journeys throughout the country to capture urban, rural, and archaeological scenes. Their work is characterized by meticulous attention to composition, technical precision, and an aesthetic sensibility that balanced European Orientalist romanticism with an accurate depiction of local reality.
Unlike other foreign photographers of the time, the Zangakis did not focus solely on Pharaonic ruins. They also documented everyday aspects of Egyptian life: souks, cafés, families, workers, caravans, soldiers, and landscapes of the desert or the Nile.
They sold their images to European tourists undertaking the traditional Grand Tour or traveling to Egypt following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which turned the country into a fashionable tourist destination. Their photographs were sold mounted on card stock or in albums like this one, which were exported or brought back to Europe as exotic souvenirs.
The signature Zangaki appears handwritten or printed on the negatives, making it easy to identify their work. Many of their photos are now found in highly prestigious public and private collections, including museums such as the Getty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The value of their photographs lies not only in their beauty and rarity, but also in their documentary function: they offer us a unique window into Egyptian society from over a century ago, captured with both an artistic and an anthropological perspective.
