Albumin print, Zangaki, Port Said harbor, Suez Canal, shipping circa 1885

This historical photograph shows a detailed and economically historically significant view of the bustling harbor of Port Said. The image was taken at the entrance to the Suez Canal and is 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.

Masterfully composed from a slightly elevated perspective, the motif documents the dense presence of numerous steam and sailing ships in the harbor basin, impressively underlining the immense strategic and global logistical importance of the artificial waterway a few years after its grand opening. A highly fascinating maritime detail consists of the white number plates with black digits clearly visible on the sides of the ships' hulls, such as the number 3 on the vessel in the foreground, as well as the numbers 90 or 96 and 67 on the units behind it, which served as official berth or registration numbers for the passage. The authorship is undisputedly attributed to the Greek Zangaki Brothers due to the original signature in the photo negative, who are considered leading chroniclers of Egyptian daily life and early Suez Canal infrastructure.

This print was produced around the year 1885, during the heyday of Oriental photo-tourism. The historical collector's item features the dimensions of 28,4 x 21,3 cm mounted on a 29,5 x 23 cm original cardboard backing and is in good age-appropriate condition with a slight toning. It shows a waviness due to storage as well as subtle foxing on the backing cardboard, while the margins are partially slightly yellowed and feature fine edge creases, including a prominent mounting crease in the bottom left corner of the image. The bottom margin features the original white text within the photo negative: "Zangaki - Entree du canal a Port-Said."