Albumin print, Zangaki Femmes Portant Leurs Enfants Sur L Epaule, circa 1880

This historical photograph shows an ethnographically significant and impressive studio staging from North Africa, titled "Femmes portant leurs enfants sur l'épaule," taken as an original albumin print. 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 motif, composed in portrait format, documents women with their children being carried on their shoulders in a traditional manner. The depicted individuals wear the characteristic attire and local jewelry of the region from that era.

The authorship is undisputedly attributed to the Greek Zangaki Brothers due to the original signature in the photo negative, who are among the most important chroniclers of life in Egypt and the Levant in the late 19th century. This print was produced around the year 1880, during the peak phase of Orientalist travel photography. From a historical perspective, this original albumin photo is of high value as it preserves traditional ways of life and the visual culture of the Orient prior to the profound modernizations of the 20th century as an authentic visual primary document.

The historical collector's item is available as a loose sheet, features the original dimensions of 28 x 22 cm, and is in good age-appropriate condition with slight toning; small light creases at the edges and corners as well as a small, professionally repaired tear along the upper margin. The bottom margin features the original white text within the photo negative: "Zangaki - No. 724 - Femmes portant leurs enfants sur l'épaule."