Large Early Photos of Colonial Algeria

[MIDDLE EAST & ISLAMIC WORLD - ALGERIA] NEURDEIN FRÈRES (active ca. 1870s-1890s); JOUVE, Noël (ca. 1880s-1910s) & OTHERS

[Album with 49 Original Albumen Studio Photos of Algeria, Showing Algiers, Oran, Tlemcen, Mers El Kebir, Mansoura, Constantine, Algerian People, French Colonial Residents and Catholic Missionaries, etc.]

Ca. 1880s-1890s. Oblong Folio album (ca. 35,5x44 cm). 28 paper leaves (mostly, double). With 49 pasted on original albumen photographs including from ca. 22,5x27,5 cm (8 ½ x 10 ½ in) to ca. 15,5x22 cm (6 x 8 ¾ in). Thirty photos captioned and/or signed in negative; four photos with the photo dealer’s blind stamps in the right lower corners. Period black full cloth album with decorative endpapers. Mounts slightly waved and age-toned, several mounts with tears or chipping on extremities not affecting the images, a few photos mildly faded, the first image with water stains; overall a very good album of interesting photos.

Nice collection of large albumen photos of French colonial Algeria, with nine views signed by the Neurdein brothers, and one photo taken by a lesser-known Tlemcen studio of Noël Jouve. Several photos show Algiers - general views taken from the sea and from the Mustapha Superieur neighbourhood, street views, photos of modern-day Place des Martyrs with Djamaʽa el Djedid mosque and the equestrian statue of Duke of Orleans (erected in 1845 and removed in 1963, after Algeria’s independence), bamboo alley in the botanical garden, etc. There are also nice photos of Oran (native market, port with Djebel Murdjadjo hill and Fort Santa Cruz), Mers El Kebir (harbour & the city), Tlemcen (interior of the Great Mosque), Mansoura (the ancient city wall), Constantine (general view, Rhumel river and ravine), etc. Three photos depict the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Timgad (northeastern Algeria). A rare photo by Tlemcen photographer Noël Jouve shows the general view of the El-Ourit Waterfalls. The other photos show desert cities and forts, native villages and tent camps, architectural details of Algerian residential houses (inner courts, porticos, fountains), portraits of native peasants, Moorish girls, etc. An interesting scene shows a public market with French and native residents posing with bulls. There is also a group portrait with a Frenchman and Algerians posing on camels, a view of a French Catholic mission, and two portraits of French armed men wearing a white uniform with crosses on their chests (possibly, related to Catholic missionaries). Overall an interesting collection of large albumen photos of late 19th-century Algeria.
A list of photos with captions: 1) No. 37. Laboureurs [unsigned]; 2) Bd. Types Algériens. Mauresque. [Signed] “N.D.”; 3) 98. Rue de la haute ville (Alger) [unsigned]; 4) 266. Le Désert pris ou Col de Sfa [unsigned]; 5) 263. Mers-el-Kébir. Le fort. [Signed] “N.D. phot.”; 6) 239. Oran. Le Marché du Village Nègre. [Signed] “N.D. Phot.”; 7) 1609. Alger, pris de Mustapha (blind stamp “A.C. Champagne, 180 Rue de Rivoli, Paris” in the right lower corner); 8) 204. Oran. Le Djebel Mourdjadjo et le Port, vue prise de la promenade de Létang. [Signed] “N.D. Phot.”; 9) Jardin d’Essali, allée des Bambous (blind stamp “Photographic Warehouse, 180 Rue de Rivoli” in the right lower corner); 10) 259. Tlemcen. Mihrab et Membar de la Grande Mosquée. [Signed] “N.D. Phot.”; 11) No. 275. [Signed] “Albert Phot.”; 12) Chantier des Caravan á Kantara [unsigned]; 13) 1656. Alger (vue générale animée) [unsigned]; 14) 339 T. Types Algériens. Mauresque. [Signed] “N.D. Phot”; 15) 1600. Rue arabe (Alger) (blind stamp “A.C. Champagne, 180 Rue de Rivoli, Paris” in the right lower corner); 16) 12. Vue d’Alger (blind stamp “A.C. Champagne, 180 Rue de Rivoli, Paris” in the right lower corner); 17) 243. Tlemcen. L’Enceinte de Mansourah, vue prise de la route de Sebdou. [Signed] “N.D. Phot”; 18) Alger. Vue prise de Mustapha-Superieur. 1123 [unsigned] ; 19) 248. Constantine. Le Ravin du Rhummel. [Signed] “N.D. Phot”; 20) 236. Environs de Constantine. Ruines d’une aqueduc Romain. [Signed] “N.D. Phot”; 21) Cascade (vue d’ensemble) Tlemcen. 29. [Signed] “Noël Jouve”; 30) No. 1043. Intérieur et cour mauresque [unsigned].
«Sons of the photographer Jean César Neurdein, the Neurdein brothers opened a photographic studio in Paris in 1863, with each taking on different responsibilities in the business. Étienne managed the studio and photographed portraits, while Louis-Antonin travelled widely photographing monuments, buildings and landscapes. Maison Neurdein thus produced not only portraits of famous people of the era but also views of France, Belgium, Algeria and Canada. It also published numerous postcards under the trademarks "ND" and "X" (McCord Museum, http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/scripts/explore.php?Lang=1&tableid=1&tablename=artist&elementid=00348__true).
Noël Jouve was a Tlemcen photographer, active in the 1880s-1910s.; in the later years he worked together with his sons under the name ‘Noel Jouve & Fils.” He was awarded a medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889 and at the Colonial Exhibition in Marseille in 1906. According to the National Library of France, A.C. Champagne was an editor (an apparently a photo dealer) who operated in the 1880s-1890s from his Paris studio on 180 Rue de Rivoli (https://data.bnf.fr/fr/16185073/a__c__champagne/). Most likely, the “Photographic Warehouse” located at the same address, also belonged to him (https://data.bnf.fr/fr/16048452/photographic_warehouse_paris/).

Item #392

Price: $2,500.00 USD