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Description
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Collection of photographs probably produced by a military officer employed in a signal unit of the French Army, at the time of the French Mandate over Syria and Lebanon (1920-1946). The majority of the photographs (four albums) were taken in Lebanon, both in Beirut and in other smaller centres such as the Druze towns of Aley and Souk El Gharb, Khalde, Harissa. Pictures in Lebanon consists of general views and street scenes, but also train and radio stations as well as the reception of General Gouraud (d. 1946), the commander of the French Army of the Levant, in Beirut. One of the albums is dedicated to the ruins of Baalbek and to the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre. Another album consists of pictures of Aleppo, showing the Citadel (Qal'at Halab), Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower and some Ayubbid (r. 1171–1260 CE) and Mamluks (r. 1260-1516 CE) minarets such as the one of the Mosque of Dabbagha (جامع الدباغة) and the one of Al-Tawashi Mosque (جامع الطواشي). One album is then dedicated to Jerusalem and Palestine and subjects are mainly holy sites. The last album house pictures of the Museum of Alexandria, a few views of Cairo and the pyramids and photographs of Izmir, Antalya and Istanbul. The group of loose prints consists of copies of images of the album, with the exception of a small group that was produced by the studio Pinson et Guelpa in Vichy and somehow related to the Association des ouvriers en instruments de précision (Precision Instruments Workers' Association) or AOIP. Pictures show electromechanical switching panels and personnel working in a telephone exchange office. One of them resembles the photographic portrait - the only one of the collection of a younger soldier smoking hookah, who is likely to be the author of the collection., Title and date devised by Library staff. Most of the photographs are mounted and captioned in the same in French in ink., Main Heritage Compact General, HC.HP.2019.0031.07 vol.7 Egypt &Turkey, 2-D Graphic, vol.7 Egypt &Turkey, Item-ID: i25658906, BIB-ID: 2711191 |
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Coverage
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1910-1920, 1910-1920, Beirut (Lebanon), Lebanon, French occupation, 1918-1946, Aleppo (Syria), Cairo (Egypt), Jerusalem, Istanbul |
