Vue générale de Bethlehem 1870s

Félix Bonfils made this photograph titled "Vue générale de Bethlehem", or "General View of Bethlehem", sometime between 1867 and 1885. It's a salted paper print from a collodion negative. Bonfils was one of the first commercial photographers in the Middle East. The image shows us a Bethlehem very different from the one we might imagine. It's a rather humble village, built from the local stone, nestled into the arid landscape. The late 19th century saw an increase in Westerners traveling to the Middle East, whether for religious pilgrimage, or for secular tourism. Bonfils’ photographs catered to this market, providing views of biblical sites, and Orientalist fantasies of the region. As historians, we examine photographs like these for what they reveal about the cultural exchange between Europe and the Middle East. By researching the institutions that supported Bonfils, and the audience for his work, we can better understand the complex politics of representation in this period.