Selling the Ottoman Empire
Viçen (1820–1902), Hovsep (1830–1908) and Kevork Abdullah (1839–1918) later named Abdullah Brothers, joined the studio opened in Istanbul by the German chemist/photographer Rabach[1] 1856 and took over the studio on his return to Germany in 1858. They were promoted to the Photographers of the Palace and became famous in Europe under the name of Abdullah Brothers. They were given Ottoman citizenship upon their success in their career. The monumental fifty-one-volume photographic record of the realm of sultan Abdul Hamid II of Turkey, the last of the Ottoman Emperors, involved more than six photographic studios. The survey was directed by the sultan's court photographers, the three Armenian brothers who formed the Istanbul firm of Abdullah Freres. The work appears to have been conceived by the sultan as a portrait of his empire for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, but was not exhibited there. It dwells on the accomplishments and westernizing improvements of the regime, such as the well drilled and equipped military, the technologically advanced lifesaving and fire fighting brigades, customs bureaucracy, and life at the lavish Imperial court. A copy of the survey was presented by Sultan Abdul-Hamid to the Library of Congress in 1894. (Gift of H.I.M. the Sultan Abdul Hamid II)
Bibliography:
Abdullah Freres : Ottoman Court Photographers by Engin Özendes YKB Publication 1998 Yapı Kredi Yayınları; İstanbul, 1998, 23 x 33 cm., 247 pages, Hardcover ISBN 9753638434
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Mehmet Bahadır Dördüncü: Mecca - Medina. The Yıldız albums of Sultan Abdülhamid II. The Light, Somerset 2006, ISBN 1-59784-054-8.
Nimet Seker: Die Fotografie im Osmanischen Reich. Ergon Verlag, Würzburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89913-739-2. Nimet Seker Profil
[1] The German chemist Rabach visited Istanbul during the Crimean War together with units under the command of Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (26 October 1800, Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin – 24 April 1891, Berlin) and opened a studio. Abdullah Şükrü,(né Viçen) (1820 - 1902) a miniaturist on ivory by trade began his photographic career touching up photos for Rabach, who opened his photography studio in 1856 in the Bayazid district of Constantinople. In 1858, when Vickens younger brother Kevork (1839 - 1918) returned from his studies at the Murad Raphaelian Armenian Academy in Venice, they and another brother Hovsep (1830 - 1908) decided to take over Rabach's photography studio and open their own, The Abdullah Frères. In 1867, they sold their shop in Beyazid and moved to a more favorable location in Pera. The Abdullah Frères subsequently became one of the most famous photographers in the Ottoman Empire. In 1863 Sultan Abdulaziz declared the Abdullah Frères as the official court photographers and Outstanding Artists of the City, an epithet they used until the closure of the shop in 1899. In 1886, at the request of the Khadive in Egypt, they opened a branch in Cairo, Egypt.The Abdullah Frères have taken pictures of numerous Ottoman Sultans, Mark Twain, Ibrahim Edhem Pasha, Osman Nuri Pasha, scenic views, and more.
A renowned Greek photographer Nikolaos Andriomenos[*] embarked his photography adventure when he was 11, as an apprentice at the studio that Abdullah Brothers took over from Rabach in Beyazıt. After working as an apprentice for a couple of years, he continued his career as a retouching artist. In 1867, Abdullah Brothers transferred the studio to Andriomenos and moved to Pera. Therefore, Andriomenos had his own professional studio at an early age (around 17). After working in Beyazıt for almost 30 years, he opened a branch in Pera. Andriomenos was one of the successful photographers, who managed to enter into the palace. He gave photography lessons to Sultan Vahdeddin, before he succeeded to throne. His 4 photographs were displayed at Paris exhibition in 1903, and he received empery medal from Sultan Abdulhamid II. He took photographs until his death in 1929, and after his decease, his son Tanas Andriomenos continued photography. Changed the studio’s name as “Foto Saray”, Tanas settled in Athens in 1980s.
[*] SOURCE
Review: Die Fotografie im Osmanischen Reich Göran Larsson | CyberOrient, Vol. 5, Iss. 2, 2011
Besides its value as an excellent introduction to the early history of photography in the Ottoman Empire, Nimet Șeker’s book Die Fotografie im Osmanischen Reich provides the reader with valuable insights into Muslim debates about images and Islamic theology and the transformation of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th century. Even though it is possible to argue that the development of the art of photography clashed with the prohibition against images it is difficult to find a stark homogenous opposition against photography among the Ottomans. For example, in his analysis of fatwas from the 19th century Șeker demonstrates convincingly that the Muslim authorities often came to different conclusions. Without going into any theological details in this review, it is more plausible that local contexts and social factors were of greater importance than theological considerations. For example, in the Ottoman Empire the Sultans’ and the power elite had no problems with miniature paintings and this acceptance was a positive driving force for the recognition of photography. Together with other technological innovations, new ideological and political influences, and a novel fashion, the introduction of the camera and the photography was part of a general modernisation of the Ottoman Empire. From this point of view the photography could be seen as an epitome of the western world, an understanding that also could be contrasted to the backward Orient.
In his thorough and well-documented study, Șeker gives the reader a first hand introduction to the early photographic studies that were established and opened in the Ottoman Empire in the middle of the 1850s. The first studios were set up by members of the non-Muslim minorities (e.g. Greeks, Armenians) in the European part of Istanbul in the quarters of Pera (Beyoğlu). According to Șeker’s analysis – and I believe that he is correct – the absence of so-called Muslim photographers in this first phase has nothing to do with a religious hesitation to take photos. The members of the minority communities were better equipped to take up the new technology. They were often closely connected with the rest of Europe and several of the early photographers had learnt the necessary skills in Paris or Berlin and several of them had also backgrounds as painters or chemists. Even more importantly, their non-Muslim background was not a hindrance and the Sultan and the Muslim elite in Istanbul soon requested their skills. Even though I find Șeker’s analysis plausible it seems to be unnecessary to make a sharp distinction between Muslims and non-Muslim photographers and the explanation for who took part or not seems to be more closely related to class and social belonging that religious identity. To make this distinction – that we partly find in Șeker’s analysis – it would be necessary to say something about how we define a Muslim. Are we referring to a cultural/religious background, or are we referring to a person that follows current guidelines of Islam in the Ottoman Empire? The distinction between non-Muslim and Muslim photographers becomes even more blurred since several of the early non-Muslim photographers also converted to Islam. Should we still count them as non-Muslim photographers? However, this is only minor critic and Șeker’s analysis is mainly based on social and economical differences that prevailed in the society at the time.
In the final section of the book, Șeker links the discussion about photography to the question of self-identification and representation. As shown in many studies on photography and art, the early photographic studios soon realised that they could earn more money by selling images and pictures that meet the expectations of the visitors and travellers to the Orient. Hence, they started to produce and reinforce the Orientalist image of the Orient as something different from the West. At the same time it is also clear that the photography became immensely popular by the large audience in Istanbul and this was the rise of the so-called family photo albums.
Last but not least, the art of photography was also put to use at the end of the Ottoman Empire by the final Sultans’ as a method for showing western states (and presumable money lenders and investors) how they have improved and modernized the empire. These documentary pictures were taken with the aim to show a prosperous and modern state that lives up to the expectations of the west.
In sum Șeker’s study of the early history of photography in the Ottoman Empire is an excellent book that is of great interest to all scholars of the history of religions, the social and economical culture of the Middle East, and media and communication studies. SOURCE