Albumin print, Hippolyte Arnoux, lighthouse, Phare De Port Said, Egypt, circa 1885

This historical photograph shows a monumental and rare view of the famous lighthouse of Port Said in Egypt, taken as an original albumin print mounted on cardboard. The albumin 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. The impressive motif documents the tower, built in 1869 and standing approximately 59 meters tall on the African side at the northern end of the Suez Canal, which made European engineering history as one of the world's first lighthouses cast entirely of concrete.

The authorship is undisputedly attributed to the prominent French documentary photographer Hippolyte Arnoux due to the original signature in the photo negative, who exclusively documented the construction work and early infrastructure of the Suez Canal. An exceptional collector's detail is located in the bottom left corner of the image, where the signature is overlaid by a purple, reversed dealer stamp referencing the royal Greek purveyor to the court and bookbinder A. Farrougia from Corfu, proving the historical journey of this photograph.

The rare exhibit dates from around the estimated years of 1885 to 1890 and is in good age-appropriate condition with a slight toning. It shows fine characteristic creases along the edges as well as diagonal triangular creases at the corners, which bear witness to a former historical mounting, while the back of the backing cardboard has darkened due to age. The bottom margin features the original white caption within the negative: "H. Arnoux - No 43 Phare de Port Said", flanked by an additional scratched signature on the right side. Dimensions: 27,6 x 22 cm