Abdul-Hamid II collection of photographs of the Ottoman Empire

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Abdul-Hamid II collection of photographs of the Ottoman Empire

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Title: Abdul-Hamid II collection of photographs of the Ottoman Empire
Related Names:
   Abdülhamid II, Sultan of the Turks, 1842-1918 , donor
   Abdullah Fréres , photographer
   Sebah & Joaillier , photographer
Date Created/Published: 1880-1893.
Medium: 51 albums ; 19 x 32 in. or smaller.
Summary: These photographic albums portray the Ottoman Empire during the reign of one of its last sultans, Abdul-Hamid II. They highlight the modernization of numerous aspects of the Ottoman Empire. Most of the places depicted are within the boundaries of modern-day Turkey, but buildings and sites in Iraq, Lebanon, Greece and other countries are also included. The images show students and educational facilities, including law, medical and military schools; well-equipped army and navy personnel and facilities; technologically advanced lifesaving and fire fighting brigades; factories; mines; harbors; hospitals; and government buildings. The collection also documents historic Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, mosques, mosaics, fountains, palaces, and mausoleums, and includes panoramic landscapes and urban scenes. Other photographs depict Abdul Hamid's Yildiz Palace, yacht, and horses.
Reproduction Number: ---
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
Access Advisory: Please use digital and print surrogates instead originals, following preservation policy. Original albums; Restricted access: Materials extremely fragile; Served by appointment only.
Call Number: Guide Record [P&P]
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Notes:
- Arrangement: Albums generally arranged by subject. Each album assigned a LOT number and photographs numbered within each LOT.
- Well-known Ottoman commercial photographers such as Abdullah Frères, Sebah & Joaillier, and Phèbus took the bulk of the photographs. Turkish military photographer Ali Rıza Pasa and the Photographic Unit of the Imperial School of Engineering also contributed numerous images.
- Collection title devised by Library staff.
- Albums include four major subject categories: Category I: views, buildings, monuments and antiquities (LOTS 9515, 9516, 9517, 9518, 9523, 9524, 9528, 9529, 9532, 9533, 9534, 9535, 9541, 11907, 11910, 11912, 11913); Category II: military, naval, rescue services and military and industrial facilities (LOTS 9521, 9522, 9536, 9537, 9539, 9540, 9543, 9545, 11905, 11906, 11909, 11911, 11914, 11915, 11917, 11918, 11919); Category III: educational facilities (LOTS 9511, 9512, 9513, 9514, 9519, 9520, 9525, 9526, 9527, 9530, 9531, 9538, 9542, 9544, 11908); and Category IV: horses and imperial stables (LOTS 9546, 11916)
- Photographs are chiefly albumen, some gelatin silver.
- Black-and-white copy photographs are also available for reference purposes under LOT call numbers.
- Digitized images of all items in the collection display with their associated catalog records in the Prints & Photographs Division Online Catalog, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ahii
- Guide to the Special Collections of Prints & Photographs in the Library of Congress / compiled by Paul Vanderbilt. Washington, D.C. : 1955, no. 2
- Special Collections in the Library of Congress / compiled by Annette Melville. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 1980, no. 1
- Gift; Abdülhamid II; 1893-1894.
- Collection profile available online http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ahii
- Abdul-Hamid II (1842-1918), an avid collector and promoter of photography, appears to have conceived this collection as a portrait of his empire for a western audience. He presented a copy of the survey to the Library of Congress in 1893 or 1894. He also gave another almost identical collection to the British Museum (now in the British Library).
- The Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918) Collection of 402 volumes in Turkish and Arabic on a variety of topics was presented to the Library of Congress by the Ottoman monarch. Many of the books are available on microfilm in the African & Middle Eastern Division. Some of the fragile volumes are preserved in the Near East Section's rare materials collection.
- Abdulhamid II gave over 400 books printed in the Ottoman Empire to U.S. Representative and New York City Mayor Abram S. Hewitt. Hewitt later donated this collection to New York University where they are located in the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library.
- Imperial self-portrait: The Ottoman Empire as revealed in the Sultan Abdul Hamid II's Photographic Albums. Edited by Carney E.S. Gavin and the Harvard Semitic Museum. Journal of Turkish Studies, v. 12, 1988. [Cambridge, Mass] : Harvard University, 1988.
Subjects:
Format:
Collections:
- Guide Records
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https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003652945/

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The Library of Congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. For further rights information, see "Rights Information" below and the Rights and Restrictions Information page ( https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/rights.html ).

Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
Reproduction Number: ---
Call Number: Guide Record [P&P]
Medium: 51 albums ; 19 x 32 in. or smaller.

Generally, Guide Records describe large groups of items from which a selection must be made. The individual items in the group may or may not be represented online.

1. Determine whether the desired materials can be retrieved online.

Select the "About this Item" tab and look for a note about tools for searching the group
If there is a note such as "Digitized images of most prints along with associated descriptive information are available through the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog," try searching the name of the collection in Search All
Select the "Obtaining Copies" tab for any retrieved items that are of interest.

2. If the desired material cannot be retrieved online:

A visit to the Prints & Photographs Reading Room may be necessary. You may wish to discuss access to the group of images with reference staff. General information about service in the reading room is available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/001_ref.html and contact information is available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/address.html

Call Number: Guide Record [P&P]
Medium: 51 albums ; 19 x 32 in. or smaller.
Access Advisory: Please use digital and print surrogates instead originals, following preservation policy. Original albums; Restricted access: Materials extremely fragile; Served by appointment only.

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)
- Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
  
  As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
- No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?
- Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
- No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

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