Ottoman Photography | Viçen, Hovsep and Kevork Abdullah | Redux

Ottoman Photography | Viçen, Hovsep and Kevork Abdullah 

Mavi Boncuk | 

Viçen (1820–1902), Hovsep (1830–1908) and Kevork Abdullah (1839–1918) later named Abdullah Brothers, joined the studio opened in Istanbul by the German chemist | photographer Rabach [1] 1856 and took over the studio on his return to Germany in 1858. 

Armenians and Greeks were the pioneers of photography as they were in many other fields of art. After a while, Levantines - Europeans living in the Ottoman Empire - got their hands on the business of photography. Ottoman photographers used high quality materials and the photographs they took endured for years without fading. They were among the highest earning artisans at the time.

The Abdullah Brothers were the most famous of them. Their studio was located in the former Russian Palace, also known as the Narmanlı Inn, on Cadde-i Kebir in Beyoğlu, and almost all notable individuals of the time had their photographs taken by them. The Abdullah Brothers signed their photographs with their name in Ottoman Arabic script as well as in Latin lettering as "Abdullah Freres." Their quality still amazes people. The Abdullah Brothers were the descendants of Aleksan, an Armenian from Kayseri who settled in Istanbul's Samatya district in 1610. 

Their grandfather Asadur Hürmüzyan was the steward of Sultan Abdülmecid. He was known as a humble and clever man and took the name of Abdullah after converting to Islam since his name "Asador" has a similar meaning to Abdullah (servant of God). When his son Abraham Abdullahyan passed away in 1875, he left three craftsman sons, Vichen, Hovsep and Kevork.

They were promoted to the Photographers of the Palace and became famous in Europe under the name of Abdullah Brothers. They were given Ottoman citizenship upon their success in their career. 13​14 The monumental fifty-one-volume photographic record of the realm of sultan Abdul Hamid II of Turkey, the last of the Ottoman Emperors, involved more than six photographic studios. 

The survey was directed by the sultan's court photographers, the three Armenian brothers who formed the Istanbul firm of Abdullah Freres. The work appears to have been conceived by the sultan as a portrait of his empire for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, but was not exhibited there. It dwells on the accomplishments and westernizing improvements of the regime, such as the well drilled and equipped military, the technologically advanced lifesaving and fire fighting brigades, customs bureaucracy, and life at the lavish Imperial court. 

A copy of the survey was presented by Sultan Abdul-Hamid to the Library of Congress in 1894. (Gift of H.I.M. the Sultan Abdul Hamid II).

Nikolai Andreomenos [2] (1850-1929)

After acquiring Abdullah Brothers' studio in Beyazıt, he operated it for 30 years. He took photographs until his death on January 27, 1929.

Upon an invitation by Khedive Tevfik Pasha of Egypt, Kevork and Hovsep went to Cairo in 1886 and opened a new branch. 

They were internationally famous during that time and took photographs of almost all notable individuals of that time; high-profile examples include figures like Mark Twain and The Prince of Wales.[3]

Mark Twain; Date: 30 September 1867; Source: Library of Congress; Author: Abdullah frères;  September 1-2, 1867, Pera, Constantinople

The Abdullah Frères also sold many pictures to tourists through their studios, including scenic views from Egypt and the Middle East. They eventually sold their business to Sébah and Joaillier in 1899 because their later photographs from the Abdullah Frères negatives have the Sébah[4] and Joaillier[5] backstamp.

Vichen, who converted to Islam in 1899 and took the name of Abdullah Şükrü, died in 1902.  His grave is in Istanbul's Maçka neighborhood, but its exact location has been lost.  

Hovsep died in 1908.

After nine years, when Kevork returned to Istanbul, he learned that the business was not going well and that his brothers had sold their shares to Foto Sabah in 1899. Kevork lived in poverty and died in misery in 1918, at the age of 79. 

OZENDES, ENGIN Abdullah Freres. Ottoman Court photographers. [English edition]. Istanbul: Yapi Kredi Yayinlari, 1998. First and only English edition. 4to., 247 p., ills. Limited edition to 700 copies. Rare English edition. Original bdg. Dust wrapper. New Oversize and very heavy volume. Please contact for postage cost. ISBN: 9789753638432 

Daily life in the Ottoman Empire photography Collection Ottoman culture Istanbul - Constantinople "Kevork, Vicen, Hovzep. The photographic adventure of the Abdullah Freres began in 1858, when the German chemist Rabach decided to go back to his country and they took over his studio. They won the favor of Sultan Abdulaziz with their portraits, and moved on to photographing the celebrities of their time. Following the Empire in its footsteps toward destruction, the Freres retired at the turn of the century. A vived accound of the lives and times of the legendary photographers of Pera".

Photographs by the firm of Abdullah Frères (1858–99), official photographers to the Ottoman court, provide a visual record of Istanbul and its monuments in the late nineteenth century. The present album contains thirty-three images of the exterior and interior of the former Byzantine church of St. Irene, which served from the late fifteenth century as the imperial Ottoman arsenal and from the end of the nineteenth century as the Turkish Military Museum. The photographs provide invaluable documentation of the arsenal’s displays of armor and weapons, including examples of Mamluk, Persian, and Ottoman origin, as well as some European arms, which today remain unpublished and largely unstudied. SOURCE

Bibliography: 

Abdullah Freres : Ottoman Court Photographers by Engin Özendes YKB Publication 1998 Yapı Kredi Yayınları; İstanbul, 1998, 23 x 33 cm., 247 pages, Hardcover ISBN 9753638434 
See ARTICLE in PDF 

Mehmet Bahadır Dördüncü: Mecca - Medina. The Yıldız albums of Sultan Abdülhamid II. The Light, Somerset 2006, ISBN 1-59784-054-8.

Nimet Seker: Die Fotografie im Osmanischen Reich. Ergon Verlag, Würzburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89913-739-2. Nimet Seker Profil

 [1] The German chemist and daguerreotypist active in Constantinople. Rabach visited Istanbul during the Crimean War together with units under the command of Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (26 October 1800, Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin – 24 April 1891, Berlin) and opened a studio. Abdullah Şükrü,(né Viçen) (1820 - 1902) a miniaturist on ivory by trade began his photographic career touching up photos for Rabach, who opened his photography studio in 1856 in the Bayazid district of Constantinople. In 1858, when Vickens younger brother Kevork (1839 - 1918) returned from his studies at the Murad Raphaelian Armenian Academy in Venice, they and another brother Hovsep (1830 - 1908) decided to take over Rabach's photography studio and open their own, The Abdullah Frères. In 1867, they sold their shop in Beyazid and moved to a more favorable location in Pera. 

The Abdullah Frères subsequently became one of the most famous photographers in the Ottoman Empire. In 1863 Sultan Abdulaziz declared the Abdullah Frères as the official court photographers and Outstanding Artists of the City, an epithet they used until the closure of the shop in 1899. In 1886, at the request of the Khadive in Egypt, they opened a branch in Cairo, Egypt.The Abdullah Frères have taken pictures of numerous Ottoman Sultans, Mark Twain, Ibrahim Edhem Pasha, Osman Nuri Pasha, scenic views, and more.  [*] SOURCE 

[2] A renowned Greek photographer Nikolaos Andriomenos[*] embarked his photography adventure when he was 11, as an apprentice at the studio that Abdullah Brothers took over from Rabach in Beyazıt. After working as an apprentice for a couple of years, he continued his career as a retouching artist. In 1867, Abdullah Brothers transferred the studio to Andriomenos and moved to Pera. Therefore, Andriomenos had his own professional studio at an early age (around 17). 

After working in Beyazıt for almost 30 years, he opened a branch in Pera. Andriomenos was one of the successful photographers, who managed to enter into the palace. He gave photography lessons to Sultan Vahdeddin, before he succeeded to throne. His 4 photographs were displayed at Paris exhibition in 1903, and he received empery medal from Sultan Abdulhamid II. 

He took photographs until his death in 1929, and after his decease, his son Tanas Andriomenos continued photography. Changed the studio’s name as “Foto Saray”, Tanas settled in Athens in 1980s.  [*] SOURCE 

[3] Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861) was the first Ottoman sultan to be photographed. This famous photograph was taken by the Abdullah Brothers. The Prussian Empress Augusta asked Sultan Abdülaziz for a photo of him in 1863. Masson, a ceiling trimmer at the palace, recommended a Frenchman named Derain who was working in Beyoğlu. However, the sultan found the photograph tasteless and did not like the result. After this, Grand Vizier Fuad Pasha recommended the Abdullah Brothers and the sultan invited them to his hunting lodge in İzmit. He posed for the brothers and sent the photographs with the help of the Ottoman ambassador in Berlin. Empress Augusta had a locket made with one of the poses she liked the most. This locket is currently displayed at the Vienna Museum. During the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876), the Abdullah Brothers were assigned as the personal photographers of the sultan and were given medals. They photographed the court as well as the sultan's close relatives. They wrote in fancy hand writing on the back of the photographs in Ottoman, French, Greek and Armenian and ornamented the photographs of the sultan with gilt. They soon caught on thanks to the sultan's signature and medals hanging on their studio's wall. The Abdullah Brothers' fame spread to Europe as well.

Foreign guests, kings, princes, wealthy people and craftsmen had their photographs taken by the Abdullah Brothers. French Empress Eugenie, Khedive of Egypt Ismail Pasha, King Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, King Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Persia, King Milan of Serbia and Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria were among the well-known figures photographed by the Abdullah Brothers. The brothers received eight orders and three medals along with numerous congratulations and appreciation from foreign rulers.

The Abdullah Brothers also photographed the historical structures and beautiful landscapes of Istanbul and its surroundings to pass down to future generations. They made albums of examples of local costumes and sent the albums to the 1867 Paris Art Exhibition. The albums named "Scenes of Istanbul" and "Historical Turkish Weapons" became popular. The Times daily spoke highly of their work as well. Edward, the future British king, as prince of Wales, invited them to the palace where he was staying after visiting their studio and asked them to take photographs of him and his family. Grand Duke Nikolas Konstantinovich of Russia, who visited Istanbul around the same time, did not leave the empire before having his picture taken by the Abdullah Brothers. Years later, when he visited Istanbul as the victor of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877, he had the Abdullah Brothers photograph his 107 officers. After the session, the Abdullahyan's gave a banquet for the grand duke and his generals at one of their mansions in Beyoğlu. Greek photographer Kargopulo, a professional rival of the Abdullah Brothers, informed the sultan of their recent actions. Sultan Abdülhamid resented the action of the Abdullah Brothers and wanted his signature, which was hanging on the wall of their studio, to be returned. After Grand Vizier Ahmed Vefik Pasha put in a good word on the brothers' behalf, the sultan granted them a pardon in 1890. Moreover, he had the chance of presenting and promoting the empire through the photographs taken by them.

[4] SOURCE: I proudly take this work as the 5th generation grandson of Polycarpe Joaillier from my mother side.

​

Fabrizio Casaretto - November 2018

He is  a collector of Sébah&Joaillier photos as family heritage and descendant of Comer Philippos, a Consul-Chancelier of Belgium in the first half of the 1900s in Istanbul who was indeed married to the daughter of the famous photographer Polycarpe Joaillier. 

Pascal Sebah He was born in 1823 to an Armenian mother and a Catholic father who immigrated from Syria. He opened the second studio in Beyoğlu, after Basile Kargopoulo, in 1857 under the name El Şark, “El Chark Société Photographic,” in Constantinople at 439 Grande Rue de Pera. In 1860, the French photographer, Antoine Laroche, directed the studio. In 1873, Sébah opened another studio in Cairo.

The studio's heyday begins with the Vienna Universal Exhibition, which it participated in in 1873. That year, the Ottoman Empire had a book prepared for the international fair held in Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The idea for the preparation of the book comes from İbrahim Edhem Pasha, who was also the father of Osman Hamdi Bey, the Minister of Public Works and Trade of the time, who presided over the Vienna Exhibition commission. In 1872, İbrahim Edhem Pasha commissioned Pascal Sébah to shoot the photographs to be included in the clothing catalogue. The work, titled “Les Costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873” (with the translation of that day “Dress-i Osmaniyye”), prepared in French by Osman Hamdi Bey and Marie de Launay, introduces the clothes of people from all walks of life in the Ottoman geography. Pascal Sebah received a gold medal with the album in this exhibition in 1873 and was rewarded with the Order of Mecidiye at the 3rd degree by the Sultan.

Pascal Sébah's "Al-Sark" studio and its negatives were destroyed in a fire in 1881.

When Pascal Sébah became paralyzed as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1883, his brother Cosmi Sébah took over the management of the studio until Pascal's son was old enough to run the studio. Pascal Sébah died on June 15, 1886.

In 1888, at the age of 16, Pascal's son Johannes (Jean) Sébah (1872-1947) took over the workshop and at the same time, they partnered with French photographer Polycarpe Joaillier and changed the name of the studio to Sébah & Joaillier. He takes advantage of his father's fame by signing “J P Sébah” (Jean Pascal Sébah) in the pictures taken by him and his father.

With Joaillier's return to Paris in 1905, Jean, who managed the studio alone for a while, became partners with Hagop İskender in 1910. When Jean and Hagop retired in 1934, Hagop's son Bedros İskender and his partner İsmail İnsel took over the studio. The studio is eventually left to İnsel and its name is changed to "Sabah". Founded by Pascal Sébah, this famous and Péra's largest studio closed in 1952, 95 years after its opening. When Johannes Sébah died in June 1947, he was buried in Feriköy Latin Catholic Cemetery, just like his father.

[5]  Polycarpe Joaillier, French photographer (1848-1904)  In 1888, Jean Sébah went into partnership with a French photographer resident in Istanbul, Polycarpe Joaillier. The firm of Sébah & Joaillier was named the Sultan’s official photographer, and at his request took photographs across the Ottoman Empire. 

At this stage, the name of Polycarpe Joaillier began to appear on the history pages. His father Antoine was born in Istanbul and his mother Catherine in Aleppo. Although there is no clear information about his grandfather Joseph, it is said that he took his surname because of his jewelery business in France, then left the country during the revolution of 1789, he settled in the Ottoman city of Aleppo and he is considered as a Levantine, and later he moved to Istanbul. The Joaillier family lived in the Ottoman Empire with a residence permit while being under the protection of France without having French nationality, but considered French by the Ottomans.

 

Sébah and Joaillier families knew each other well before the partnership. There are information and documents about it, but there are also some facts. Polycarpe was only 7 years old when his father Antoine passed away at the age of 33 in 1855, he had two younger brothers. Since the 3rd generation of the Joaillier family was unable to work, Antoine’s sister, his wife and three sons could not generate income. 

Therefore, Pascal Sebah, a very close friend of the family, would have taken care of these people. Part of the Joaillier family lived in a flat at no.439 Grande rue de Pera where the photographic studio was located. Polycarpe Joaillier, in addition to his education, learned the art of photography alongside Pascal Sebah. The two families were so close that on August 28th 1879, Pascal Sébah was one of the witnesses of Polycarpe’s wedding celebrated at the Büyükdere Nativity Church in Istanbul.

In 1899, their rivals and well-known studio Abdullah Frères couldn’t withstand the competition in Pera, they sold their archives to Sébah&Joaillier for 1200 Liras and hand over their studio. After that date, behind Abdullah Frères’s footage there was mainly Sébah&Joaillier.

 

In 1904 Polycarpe Joaillier passed away in Istanbul. The sons of the two founding partners, Jean Pascal Sébah and Gustave Joaillier, endeavored to keep the studio standing for a while.

 

In 1908 Agop Iskender joined the studio as a partner.

In 1914, Gustave Joaillier released his shares and left for France with his family, the Joaillier family's ties to the studio ended.

In 1934, Agop's son Bedros and Ismail Insel bought the shares and the studio's name changed to Foto Sabah. SOURCE

In 1952 the studio moved next to the Atlas Passage in Beyoğlu.

In 1973, the studio closed.

Review: Die Fotografie im Osmanischen Reich 29 ​ 30

Göran Larsson | CyberOrient, Vol. 5, Iss. 2, 2011

Besides its value as an excellent introduction to the early history of photography in the Ottoman Empire, Nimet Șeker’s book Die Fotografie im Osmanischen Reich provides the reader with valuable insights into Muslim debates about images and Islamic theology and the transformation of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th century. Even though it is possible to argue that the development of the art of photography clashed with the prohibition against images it is difficult to find a stark homogenous opposition against photography among the Ottomans. For example, in his analysis of fatwas from the 19th century Șeker demonstrates convincingly that the Muslim authorities often came to different conclusions. Without going into any theological details in this review, it is more plausible that local contexts and social factors were of greater importance than theological considerations. For example, in the Ottoman Empire the Sultans’ and the power elite had no problems with miniature paintings and this acceptance was a positive driving force for the recognition of photography. Together with other technological innovations, new ideological and political influences, and a novel fashion, the introduction of the camera and the photography was part of a general modernisation of the Ottoman Empire. From this point of view the photography could be seen as an epitome of the western world, an understanding that also could be contrasted to the backward Orient.

In his thorough and well-documented study, Șeker gives the reader a first hand introduction to the early photographic studies that were established and opened in the Ottoman Empire in the middle of the 1850s. The first studios were set up by members of the non-Muslim minorities (e.g. Greeks, Armenians) in the European part of Istanbul in the quarters of Pera (Beyoğlu). According to Șeker’s analysis – and I believe that he is correct – the absence of so-called Muslim photographers in this first phase has nothing to do with a religious hesitation to take photos. The members of the minority communities were better equipped to take up the new technology. They were often closely connected with the rest of Europe and several of the early photographers had learnt the necessary skills in Paris or Berlin and several of them had also backgrounds as painters or chemists. Even more importantly, their non-Muslim background was not a hindrance and the Sultan and the Muslim elite in Istanbul soon requested their skills. Even though I find Șeker’s analysis plausible it seems to be unnecessary to make a sharp distinction between Muslims and non-Muslim photographers and the explanation for who took part or not seems to be more closely related to class and social belonging that religious identity. To make this distinction – that we partly find in Șeker’s analysis – it would be necessary to say something about how we define a Muslim. Are we referring to a cultural/religious background, or are we referring to a person that follows current guidelines of Islam in the Ottoman Empire? The distinction between non-Muslim and Muslim photographers becomes even more blurred since several of the early non-Muslim photographers also converted to Islam. Should we still count them as non-Muslim photographers? However, this is only minor critic and Șeker’s analysis is mainly based on social and economical differences that prevailed in the society at the time. 

In the final section of the book, Șeker links the discussion about photography to the question of self-identification and representation. As shown in many studies on photography and art, the early photographic studios soon realised that they could earn more money by selling images and pictures that meet the expectations of the visitors and travellers to the Orient. Hence, they started to produce and reinforce the Orientalist image of the Orient as something different from the West. At the same time it is also clear that the photography became immensely popular by the large audience in Istanbul and this was the rise of the so-called family photo albums. 

Last but not least, the art of photography was also put to use at the end of the Ottoman Empire by the final Sultans’ as a method for showing western states (and presumable money lenders and investors) how they have improved and modernized the empire. These documentary pictures were taken with the aim to show a prosperous and modern state that lives up to the expectations of the west.

In sum Șeker’s study of the early history of photography in the Ottoman Empire is an excellent book that is of great interest to all scholars of the history of religions, the social and economical culture of the Middle East, and media and communication studies. SOURCE

PANEL Camera Ottomana:

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Fotoğraf ve Modernite, 1840-1914