C. Portier Alger: Bedouin Tent Camp Algeria (Vintage Cabinet Card Photo ~1880s)

original cabinet card photo - no reprint!

cabinet card photos have been first introduced in 1860 and slowly replaced the smaller carte de visite photos...

antique cabinet card, circa 1880s-1890s, from the series "vues & types de l'algerie" by c. portier, photograveur, alger (algiers), algeria. portier was an established colonial-era photographer based in algiers, honoured with a "diplome d'honneur" and "medaille d'or" as noted on the mount, likely awarded at a colonial or international exhibition of the period.

the albumen print shows a large group gathered beneath a striped bedouin/nomad tent, the group comprising men, women, and children in traditional north african dress, including turbans and hooded burnous cloaks. several long-barrelled rifles/muskets are propped against a tent post in the foreground, suggesting a tribal gathering, council meeting, or similar communal occasion. trees and open landscape are visible in the background.

this type of image belongs to the well-known genre of french colonial "types" photography, produced for the european tourist and collector market in the late 19th century, documenting the peoples, customs, and daily life of algeria under french colonial rule.

photographer's backmark reads "vues & types de l'algerie, c. portier photograveur, diplome d'honneur, medaille d'or, alger" with exhibition medal vignette.

mounted on period cabinet card stock with rounded corners. the card shows light age toning and handling wear consistent with its age, please see photos for full condition details.

a striking piece of french colonial algerian photography, of interest to collectors of orientalist and north african ethnographic photography, colonial history, and 19th century cabinet cards.

size: ~ 16.8 x 10.7 cm (1 cm ~ 0.39 inch)

condition: very good...yellowing....please also refer to scan which show complete front and backside of photo.

fotografie, photograph, photographe, kabinettformat, cabinet photo, foto, kabinett photo, cdv, carde de visite, albumen silver print, tirage albuminé, traditional clothing, tent, bedouin, nomads, berber, desert