Albumen print, harbor basin, Port Said, Egypt shipping, late 19th century

This historical photograph shows a wide panoramic view of the harbor basin of Port Said in Egypt, taken as an original albumen print. The albumen process used was the dominant photochemical technique of that era, in which egg white was used to bind the light-sensitive silver salts to the paper, giving the photographs their characteristic warm sepia tone, a soft glossy surface, and high detail sharpness. In the photograph, the extensive harbor basin spreads out at the entrance of the Suez Canal, where numerous historical steamships, sailing ships, and freighters lie anchored closely together or wait to pass through the canal.

Such precise documentations of the busy ship traffic are attributed in research to well-known chroniclers of the region. Although the handwritten note at the bottom margin within the photo negative can no longer be deciphered beyond doubt in every letter, it most likely refers to the locally active photographer and publisher Georgilades. This print was produced in the late 19th century, during the economic heyday of global shipping. From a historical perspective, these original albumen photos are of high value as they preserve the rapid rise of the port city into a global bottleneck as an authentic visual primary document.

The historical collector's item is available as a loose sheet, features the original dimensions of 29,7 x 22,3 cm, and is in good age-appropriate condition with slight toning and signs of wear corresponding to age; small and light creases at the edges; a small strip of white paper is glued to the back.