Morocco--Cavilla, A., G. Washington Wilson, Léon and Levy, J. Valentine, and others

60 photographs (from 112 x 190mm. to 218 x 277mm., or the reverse), by various photographers, comprising 59 albumen prints and one later matt print, loose, some mounted on card, many signed, captioned or numbered in the negative, A. Cavilla's with his purple inkstamp on the reverse (2 slightly showing through to the image), one with a small unobtrusive blindstamp, overall in good condition, some slight fading



A very good collection of rare and early portrait photographs, costume, animated street scenes and architectural views in Morocco, the majority taken around 1880, mostly in Tangiers (33), with some in Tetouan (4) and elsewhere. Identified photographers include Léon and Levy (2), James Valentine, George Washington Wilson (8), A. Cavilla (12), and Léon Davin; in addition there are 4 signed in the negative by an unidentified photographer with the monogram 'J.P.'; other unattributed photographs in this collection are possibly by Cavilla or Washington Wilson.



'Nineteenth-century Morocco, unlike its next-door neighbour, was often inaccesable and indeed dangerous to foreigners with the exception of trading ports like Tangier. The country had never been part of the Ottoman Empire... By the 1860s, there were still few European businesses and probably no resident photographers... Cavilla was one of the earliest resident photographers in Tangier. For Morocco that was sometime hostile to Westerners, "early" means c.1880s.' (Jacobson)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A very good collection of rare and early portrait photographs, costume, animated street scenes and architectural views in Morocco, the majority taken around 1880, mostly in Tangiers (33), with some in Tetouan (4) and elsewhere. Identified photographers include Léon and Levy (2), James Valentine, George Washington Wilson (8), A. Cavilla (12), and Léon Davin; in addition there are 4 signed in the negative by an unidentified photographer with the monogram 'J.P.'; other unattributed photographs in this collection are possibly by Cavilla or Washington Wilson.

'Nineteenth-century Morocco, unlike its next-door neighbour, was often inaccesable and indeed dangerous to foreigners with the exception of trading ports like Tangier. The country had never been part of the Ottoman Empire... By the 1860s, there were still few European businesses and probably no resident photographers... Cavilla was one of the earliest resident photographers in Tangier. For Morocco that was sometime hostile to Westerners, "early" means c.1880s.' (Jacobson)

References:
L'Institut français du Nord. Tanger et Tétouan. Les débuts de la photographie, 1870-1900(Paris, 2003), nos. 5, 7, 30, 32, 33, 35, 38, 40, 43, 46, and 47.
Sánchez, R.G. Fotógrafos viajeros del siglo XIX. Las compañías fotográficas de Wilson y Lévy, en Andalucía; Ceuta, Gibraltar y Marruecos (Ceuta, 2002), pp.49, 52, 53, and 77.
Sánchez, R.G. Andaluces y Marroquíes en la colección fotográfica Lévy (1888-1889). (Cadiz, 2002), p.221.
Jellouin, T. ben, A. d'Hooghe and M. Sijelmassi. Le désir du Maroc. (Paris: Marval, 1999), pp. 26 (no.2), 27, and 29.
Jacobson, K. Odalisques & Arabesques: Orientalist Photography 1839-1925 (London: Quaritch, 2007), pp.17 and 221.