Albumin print, Zangaki, Suez Canal, Port Said, Bureaux de la Compagnie, circa 1900

This historical photograph shows an impressive and detailed view of the harbor of Port Said in Egypt, with a direct view of the representative administrative building of the Suez Canal Company, taken as an original albumin print on a historical album page. 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 in landscape format, the motif documents the bustling commercial traffic around the turn of the century with numerous steamers, boats, and barges on the water, while passersby and horse-drawn carriages in the foreground enliven the busy activity on the quay. A very special feature of this object is its character as a genuine private album page, as the back features 4 smaller original private photographs of a historical journey, documenting impressionistic scenes and places in North Africa. The authorship of the main motif is undisputedly attributed to the Greek Zangaki Brothers due to the original signature in the bottom left of the photo negative, who are considered leading chroniclers of the Suez Canal infrastructure.

The antique collector's item features the dimensions of 26,3 x 18,1 cm and is in good age-appropriate condition with a slight toning, showing yellowing and small light creases at the edges and corners. Fine surface cracks on the image as well as slight foxing on the back. The bottom margin features the original white caption within the photo negative: "Zangaki - No 33 Entrée du Canal et Bureaux de la Compagnie."