Albumin print, panorama, Port Said, Egypt, Grand Hotel du Louvre, Zangaki Brothers, late 19th century

This historical photograph shows a detailed panoramic cityscape of the European quarter in Port Said in Egypt, taken as an original albumin print looking down onto the Rue du Commerce in the immediate vicinity of the harbor. 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. In the photograph, the urban architecture of the port city spreads out, precisely documenting the prominent multi-story Grand Hotel du Louvre et de France with its wrap-around verandas and signage in the right center of the image, as well as the surrounding roofs and colonial buildings.

The work originates from the well-known Greek photographers George and Constantine Zangaki, who operated a significant studio in Egypt as the Zangaki Brothers in the late 19th century. The brothers undertook extensive travels along the Nile and the Suez Canal to capture the rapid economic and urban development of the region, as well as monumental structures for European travelers and scientific documentation. Their works are characterized by precise image composition and high documentary value, which is why they are considered among the most important pioneers of commercial Oriental photography. This print was produced at the end of the 19th century, presumably in the late 1880s or early 1890s, during the peak of the Suez Canal boom. From a historical perspective, these original albumin photos are of high value as they precisely preserve the structural rise of Port Said into one of the most important maritime trade hubs in the world and serve as rare visual primary documents of Egyptian contemporary history.

The historical collector's item is available as a loose sheet, features the original dimensions of 27 x 19,5 cm, shows small blemishes on the image in the lower left corner, is in good age-appropriate condition with slight toning, and features a faintly recognizable caption in the lower margin area with an archive number as well as the signature of the Zangaki Brothers on a light background. Signs of wear are corresponding to age