18 Originalphotographien von Mekka, vom "earliest Arabian photographer"

Snouck Hurgronje, Christian. Bilder aus Mekka.

Nach F. E. Peters (s. u.) stellt die vorliegende Mappe eines der frühesten photographischen Dokumente Mekkas und des Hadsch dar; vorangegangen waren lediglich die Photographien des Muhammed Sadiq Bey, die 1881 erschienen sind (Sotheby's, 4. Juni 1998: GBP 1.250.000). "Following the publication of 'Bilderatlas zu Mekka', Hurgronje received a letter from his doctor in Makkah, whom he had taught the art of photography. The letter contained new photographs of the hajj which were of such great interest that he decided in 1889 to publish his 'Bilder aus Mekka' [...] The photographs provide an insight into the world of Makkah's inhabitants, pilgrims from all over the Islamic world, in addition to the sharif of Makkah, the Turkish governor, and various religious and secular figures" (Badr el-Hage, S. 46f.). "In 1981 F. H. S. Allen and C. Gavin first identified the earliest Arabian photographer by deciphering his elaborately calligraphed signatures, which without exception had been erased from the plates reproduced by Snouck Hurgronje: 'Futugrafiyat al-Sayyid 'Abd al-Ghaffar, tabib Makka' (The Photography of the Sayyid Abd al-Ghaffar, physican of Mecca). This princely eye surgeon had been host to the young Snouck in Mecca immediately after the Dutchman's conversion to Islam. Snouck claimed to have taught his host how to use a camera and attributes to him (without ever mentioning his name) the pictures reproduced in 'Bilder aus Mekka'".

Sehr selten; international nur zwei Exemplare auf Auktionen der letzten 20 Jahre nachgewiesen (das letzte, 2006 bei Sotheby's versteigert, inkomplett: ohne sämtliche Textblätter). Text etwas gebräunt; die Decken etwas wellig. Die Albuminabzüge tadellos mit hervorragendem Kontrast. Die originale Leinenmappe an Ecken und Kanten etwas bestoßen.