Albumin print, troop transport Vinh Long, Suez Canal Toussoum Station, Zangaki, 1880

This historical photograph shows a historically significant view of the French military transport ship Vinh-Long at the Toussoum Station in the Suez Canal, 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 armed ship documented in the center combines classic sailing masts with a central smokestack for modern steam propulsion and lies moored in the canal bed. In the background, further ships can be recognized in the waterway, documenting the already busy ship traffic on this strategic route during the 1880s.

The authorship is undisputedly attributed to the Greek Zangaki Brothers due to the original signature in the photo negative, who are considered important chroniclers of the early Suez Canal and Egyptian daily life. This print was produced in the 1880s, during the formative phase of colonial seafaring following the opening of the canal in 1869. From a historical perspective, this original albumin photo is of high value as it precisely preserves the maritime military and colonial history of the late 19th century at this geopolitical hub.

The historical collector's item is available as a loose sheet and features the original dimensions of 28 x 21 cm; good age-appropriate condition with slight toning; small light creases on the image, at the edges and corners, while the outer edges are partially somewhat yellowed. The bottom margin features the original white caption within the negative: "Zangaki - No. 172 –" (The remaining text is difficult to recognize.)