YJ Draiman Articles: Photographs of Palestine/Israel from Maison Bonfils (1867-1910s), Beirut, Lebanon

Photographs of Palestine from Maison Bonfils (1867-1910s), Beirut, Lebanon - part two

EAP644: The Fouad Debbas Collection: assessment and digitisation of a precious private collection. Photographs from Maison Bonfils (1867-1910s), Beirut, Lebanon

The aim of this project is to clean, list, index, catalogue and digitise a collection of 3,000 photographs produced in the Middle East by the Maison Bonfils, from 1867 to the 1910s.

The 3,000 items consist of albumen prints gathered in albums and portfolios, glass plates, stereos, cabi…[show more]

EAP644: The Fouad Debbas Collection: assessment and digitisation of a precious private collection. Photographs from Maison Bonfils (1867-1910s), Beirut, Lebanon

The aim of this project is to clean, list, index, catalogue and digitise a collection of 3,000 photographs produced in the Middle East by the Maison Bonfils, from 1867 to the 1910s.

The 3,000 items consist of albumen prints gathered in albums and portfolios, glass plates, stereos, cabinet cards and cartes de visite. They are part of the general Fouad Debbas Collection, which contains more than 40,000 photographs. The objective is to undertake a survey, and increase access to and visibility of this most valuable and endangered collection.

The Fouad Debbas Bonfils collection is the most extensive, varied and richest photographic collection produced in the Levant at the end of the Ottoman period. It is in fact one of the very few photographic collections produced in Beirut from the late Ottoman period which are still preserved.

Established in 1867 in Beirut, the Bonfils house set out the first photographic studio in Beirut and established photography as a business. As such Mr Bonfils, his wife Lydie, (apparently the first woman photographer of the whole area at that time) and children, all succeeded in capturing a region of immense physical beauty (the landscape photos of Beirut and Baalbeck), of varied ethnic composition (various portraits), and of rapid socio-economic change, at a crucial moment of the region’s history. The Bonfils Debbas collection is clearly an invaluable document registering the history of a region at a crucial crossroads in the wake of great historical upheaval which was about to sweep the region and bring about the Modern Middle East as we know it.

The Fouad Debbas Collection contains approximately 3,000 items signed by Bonfils between the 1867 studio creation and the 1910s when Lydie Bonfils worked in the family’s Beirut studio for some time after her son abandoned the trade in the early 1900s. This Bonfils collection gathered 62 albums including the 7 famous “Mansell Albums” (approx.1966 photographs); 24 portfolios with approximately 720 photographs from Bonfils; 90 stereoscopic views; a hundred glass plates; 32 cabinet cards and “cartes de visite”. While Fouad Debbas was passionate about research and identifying, for example, a chronology for stamps and signatures by Bonfils, he was not very concerned with preservation and some of this valuable material is now endangered.

The Fouad Debbas Bonfils collection faces many risks. Disassociation of the collection is an emergency situation, and the Bonfils sample is a very representative case. After Fouad Debbas passed away in 2001, the two remaining brothers took over ownership of the collection. The entire collection is housed in a commercial building, with no institutional guarantees for the future, but an adequate storage room has been dedicated to safely host the Collection, fitting international requirements in terms of preventive conservation.

The lack of a database facilitates neither the manager of the collection nor scholars to find a photograph among the 40,000 items. Although the Fouad Debbas Collection is often asked for loans in international exhibitions, finding the right images is a real challenge, since no proper inventory or database exists. Digital preservation standards and directives concerning manipulation as well as the verification of information contained in captions (title, techniques) should be conducted. The creation of a proper database will facilitate preservation and access to the collection. Where necessary, some documents will be rehoused.

Lebanon, and the region at large, lacks any serious governmental structures and institutions capable of protecting and preserving the region’s cultural heritage. Only Bonfils and other photographers’ witnesses remain, where property developers replace traditional workshops and activities of our region. Moreover, the Damocles sword of a new armed conflict haunting Lebanon and the instability of the region, with the current war in Syria in particular, are so many risks that threaten the Lebanese and Middle Eastern heritage. [show less]

In this context, the Fouad Debbas Collection would at least remain “alive”, at least as a digital copy in a Lebanese university and in the British Library. We believe that the efforts of one man to gather the memory of this region should not be lost forever.

SHOW MORE FILES FROM THIS PROJECT

EAP644/1: The Bonfils Collection [c 1867-c 1914]

"Description: The Fouad Debbas Collection is the private collection of one man, Fouad Debbas, who studied engineering and got passionate about gathering images of his past and his region. Debbas (Lebanese) spent 26 years (from 1975 until his sudden death in 2001) collecting all images that concerned the Middle-East, with a special interest for Lebanon. He masterminded his collection, classifying his images by photographs / editors / subjects and produced two important books on postcards representing Beirut and on photography in Lebanon during 1848-1914. His collection is a reference for art historians, historians, urbanists and for all Lebanese eager to understand better its heritage. Photographs produced by Maison Bonfils during its establishment in Beirut in 1867 up to the first decade of the 20th century. Landscapes, Portraits of Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, and few images of Turkey, Smyrna or Greece. Photographs on glass (glass plates positives and negatives), loose albumin prints conserved in portfolio, photographic albums, cartes de visite and cabinet cards, stereoscopic views. Images depicting the Middle East of the late 19th century, with an 'orientalist' perspective, sometimes a romantic approach, produced for the European market. Extent and format of original material: SERIES = 138 items from uncomplete series of Bonfils stereoscopic views and lantern magic slides; 3 printed catalogues FILES = 36 photographic albums; 1956 photographs, 27 portfolios; 747 ITEMS = 3 cabinet cards, 49 cartes de visite, 1 Wet collodion glass plate negative." [show less]

EAP644/1/2: "Bonfils Magic Lantern slides series: ""Terre Sainte"" [c 1867-c 1914]"

EXTENT:

51 TIFF images

LEVEL:

File

SCOPE AND CONTENT:

"Description: Uncomplete Series of 51 Lantern Magic Lantern Slides by Bonfils. Each slide measures: 10 x 8.5 x 0.2 cm. Image 1: Puits de Jacob. Tombeau de Joseph. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Nablus. Image 2: Itinéraire des pélerinages. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. HOLY LAND. Image 3: Peuples à Jérusalem. 2e série. Cheikh musulman. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 4: Vue du Pélerinage de Terre Sainte, Béthanie [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Bethany. Image 5: Jerusalem, Mur des Lamentations. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Jerusalem. Image 6: Vallée des tombeaux de Josaphat. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Valley of Josaphat. Image 7: Cours et courbe du Jourdain. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, River Jordan. Image 8: Mer Morte et montagne de la Judée. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Dead Sea. Image 9: Embouchure du Jourdain sur la Mer Morte. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, River Jordan and Dead Sea. Image 10: Intérieur du tombeau de Saint Jabas. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE. Image 11: Pont sur le Jourdain. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, River Jordan. Image 12: Grande mosquée de Gaza. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Gaza. Image 13: Vue générale de Betogabra, Beit Djibrin. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Djibrin. Image 14: Grottes des Horites à Betogabra. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Betogabra. Image 15: Ancien moulin à Betogabra. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Betogabra. Image 16: Naïn vue panoramique. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Nain. Image 17: Mont Thabor et plaine d'Esdrelon. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Mount Tabor. Image 18: Nazareth, vue prise de la route de Cana. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Nazareth. Image 19: Cana. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Cana. Image 20: Mont des Béatitudes. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Mount of Beatitudes. Image 21: Césarée. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Caesarea. Image 22: Mur de Césarée et prison de Saint Paul. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Caesarea. Image 23: Chapelle sur le lieu du sacrifice d'Elie. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Mount Carmel. Image 24: Vue générale de Caïffa. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Caifa. Image 25: Tyr la ville et le port. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Sour. Image 26: Vue générale de Kérak. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. JORDAN, Kerak. Image 27: Sources de Moïse près du Mont Nebo. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. JORDAN, Mount Nebo. Image 28: Mosquée d'Alep. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Aleppo. Image 29: Ruines à El-Kefr. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, El-Kefr. Image 30: Tombeau de Saint Jean. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 31: Cour de la maison Stambouli (Damas). Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 32: Salon de la maison Stambouli (Damas). Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 33: Mur par où Saint Paul s'est enfui. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 34: Lieu de la Conversion de Saint Paul. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 35: Groupe de tombeaux de princes damasquins. Terre Sainte [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 36: Cimetière du Meydan, vue générale. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. SYRIA, Damascus. Image 37: Cèdres du Liban. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Cedars. Image 38: Cascade dans le Liban. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON. Image 39: Vue générale de Beyrouth. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Beirut. Image 40: Drogman, guide des voyageurs. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Types & Scenes. Image 41: Paysan de Judée avec un boeuf et un âne. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 42: Gardiens du Saint Sépulcre. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 43: Paysannes moulant le blé. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 44: Femme de Béthléem. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 45: Musulmans en prière. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 46: Jeune fille du Liban en costume de fête. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Types & Scenes. Image 47: Caravane sur palanquin de voyage. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Types & Scenes. Image 48: Paysan du Mont Liban. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Types & Scenes. Image 49: Paysanne syrienne cuisant son pain sur le saj. Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. LEBANON, Types & Scenes. Image 50: Entrée de Jérusalem par la porte de Jaffa. Vue de Terre Sainte. [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Jerusalem. Image 51: Entrée du Saint Sépulcre [c 1867-c 1914]. PALESTINE, Jerusalem."