Albumin print, Port Said, Egypt, British troops, Anglo-Egyptian War, 1882

This historical photograph shows an important military history scene in the harbor of Port Said in Egypt directly at the strategic entrance to the Suez Canal, taken as an original albumin print around the year 1882. 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 photograph precisely documents the arrival or stationing of British troops during the Anglo-Egyptian War in the summer of 1882. This historical determination confirms that in August 1882 British units under Admiral Hoskins occupied Port Said to secure the Suez Canal. The image shows the transport ships and warships lying in the canal on the left side, while the typical wooden and colonial architecture of the port city of Port Said can be seen on the right side.

In research, the authorship is frequently attributed to the Zangaki Brothers, who intensively documented the events surrounding the British intervention of 1882. This print was produced in 1882 in the midst of the historical events. From a historical perspective, these original albumin photos are of extremely high value as they preserve the beginning of the decades-long British presence in Egypt and the military securing of the Suez Canal as an authentic visual primary document.

The historical collector's item is available as a loose sheet, features the dimensions of 27,5 x 21 cm, and has a few very fine and light creases at the edges and corners; overall in good age-appropriate condition with slight toning; signs of wear are corresponding to age; the bottom right margin features the original white caption: "Débarquement des troupes anglaises Port Said." Stamp with 3 crowns on the back; perhaps an indication of an interesting feature of provenance.