Felice Beato (1832-1909) & James Robertson (1813-1888)

albumen print, signed 'Robertson & Beato,' titled, and dated in the negative, mounted, 1857

Lott & Gerrish, London

Robert Hershkowitz, Ltd., Sussex, 1999

Nissan N. Perez, Focus East: Early Photography in the Near East (1839-1885) (New York and The Israel Museum, 1988), p. 131, fig. 121

Grading this albumen print on a scale of 1 to 10 - 10 being an albumen print that has deep dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail - this astonishing print rates a strong 10. It has rich, saturated, dark eggplant tones punctuated by bright, creamy highlights. There is no degradation of detail, fading, or yellowing at the edges, as is frequently seen in Robertson & Beato works from the period. Upon very close examination in high raking light, the following are visible: scattered, tiny matte areas of indeterminate nature; a faint, long scuff in the upper central portion of the image; and a barely discernible linear scratch in the lower left quadrant. None are immediately apparent, nor do they detract in any way from this exceptional print. The photograph is mounted horizontally to large card measuring 17½ by 22½ inches. The mount is lightly rippled along the upper and lower edges. Light soiling, some foxing, age-darkening, and a few small creases are visible on the front and reverse of the mount. There are abrasions and remnants of yellowed adhesive and paper tape along the upper edge of the mount on the front and reverse.
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This strikingly rich print, signed with the names of James Robertson and Felice Beato, shows the porch of the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, within the old walled city of Jerusalem.  The church was erected on what is believed to have been the site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, and has been an important pilgrimage destination for Christians over many centuries. 

The Italian-born Beato started as an assistant to the Scottish Robertson, who was chief engraver to the Imperial Mint in Constantinople before establishing his own photographic studio in that city around 1853-54.    In 1855, Robertson married Beato’s sister Leonilda, and the two men worked together for a few short years before Beato’s career moved to India and then to the Far East, where he became well-known for his photographs of Japan and its people.  Between them, before their paths parted, Robertson and Beato covered the Crimean War, the Indian mutiny, and the architecture and landmarks of Malta, Cairo, Athens, Syria, Jerusalem, and Istanbul, in an era when travel was not easy and supplies often scarce.    

The partners made a tour of the Holy Land in 1857, when the present photograph was taken.  They showed images in photographic exhibitions in London in 1858 and 1860, but surviving prints from their joint partnership are scarce.    In their wide-ranging travels and choice of subject, Robertson and Beato, who later became a naturalized British citizen, are exemplars of what Robert Hershkowitz has called the ‘the rich tradition of early British foreign travel photography, characterized by its enormous variety and ubiquitous vitality’ (The British Photographer Abroad: The First Thirty Years, p. 6).