In Arab Lands – The Bonfils Collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, with an Introduction by Douglas M. Haller. Published by Zeitouna Press, Cairo, 1999 – First Edition.
A special box set containing a luxurious photo album featuring the works of Félix Bonfils in the Near East. The album includes 54 large photographs (38×30 cm) printed in full-page format, both in color and black-and-white, depicting people, landscapes, and sites in the Land of Israel and the Near East, many of which were captured from Bonfils’ original negatives. Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed description at the beginning of the album, including its origin and date of capture. The subjects range from street scenes to portraits, landscapes to architectural studies, covering Ottoman Syria, the Land of Israel, and Egypt in the second half of the 19th century.
Among the notable photographs are: The Western Wall (described as “The Jews’ Place of Wailing”), Absalom’s Tomb, The Dance of the Immortals, Hassan Pasha Mosque, Jaffa Gate, The Temple Mount, Hebron, Landscapes and people in Lebanon, Sites and people in Damascus, and more.
The album opens with an extensive introduction by Douglas Haller, discussing Félix Bonfils’ life, his photographic work, and the historical importance of his contributions as one of the greatest photographers of the East in the 19th century.
Condition: Thick, clean paper – copy in excellent condition. Comes in the original black cardboard box with a photograph affixed to the front, as well as on the album itself. Dimensions: 41x31x4 cm.
