Egypt—Henri Béchard | Large format photographs of Cairo, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Aswan, and Philae, c. 1880

Egypt—Henri Béchard

Large photographs of Cairo, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Aswan, and Philae, circa. 1880

Large folio (627 x 476mm.), 52 albumen prints (each approximately average 376 x 269mm., or the reverse), individually mounted on card, loose as issued in a contemporary black half morocco portfolio, black cloth boards, fading to images, some spotting, stains and wear to mounts,portfolio somewhat worn

RARE LARGE FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHS OF EGYPT. Henri Béchard was a professional photographer who opened a studio in the garden of Ezbekia (Azbakeya), Cairo. "His work is distinguished by the superb quality of his prints and the generally spectacular presentation of even the most common sites ... His cityscapes and urban scenes were mostly taken from unusual angles in an attempt to cope with narrow and confined spaces" (Perez).

LITERATURE:

Nissan Perez, Focus East: Early Photography in the Near East 1839-1885 (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1988), p. 132