Huis van Osman in Damascus 1860 - 1880

Editor: This albumen print, taken sometime between 1860 and 1880 by Ferrier Pére-Fils et Soulier, depicts the House of Osman in Damascus. I find the stark contrast and the almost theatrical framing of the architecture quite striking. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, it’s important to remember how photographs like these circulated. As an albumen print, a relatively reproducible medium, images like this served a distinct purpose in the visual economy of 19th century Europe. These images brought the ‘Orient’ to European audiences, but through a very specific, often colonial lens. Notice how the scene is composed? Editor: You mean, almost like a stage set? Curator: Precisely. Consider what that implies. How does this constructed view influence the viewer’s understanding of Damascus, or the "Orient" generally? It also makes me wonder about access; who was allowed into this space to be photographed? Were they posing inhabitants of the home or others hired to fulfill that role? Editor: So it's not just a record, but also a performance for a Western audience? Curator: Exactly. And by framing the everyday through a photographic medium, what power dynamics are being subtly reinforced? Photography, in this period, played a key role in constructing and circulating ideas about other cultures, for better or worse. The Western gaze actively participated in the construction of difference. Editor: That makes me see this photograph in a completely new light – no pun intended! It’s far more than a pretty picture of an old building. It's a document deeply entangled with the politics of its time. Curator: And that's precisely why these images are worth studying; to understand not just what they show, but how they actively shaped perceptions and perpetuated ideologies.