ABDULLAH BROTHERS
Would you like to stroll around in the Istanbul of around 100 years ago? To witness the sights of the Bosporus without the bridges, the boats, boat sheds, buggies, peddler coffee sellers and even the sultans?.. Three brothers, the famous photographers of the era elicit that for you: Abdullah Brothers!
Would you like to stroll around in the Istanbul of around 100 years ago? To witness the sights of the Bosporus without the bridges, the boats, boat sheds, buggies, peddler coffee sellers and even the sultans?.. Three brothers, the famous photographers of the era elicit that for you: Abdullah Brothers!
Abdullah Brothers are the master builders of the art of photography that was started by inventor Nicéphore Niepce who shot the first photograph in history in 1826 in front of his house after an overexposure of eight hours. Abdullah Brothers, Vichen, Kework and Hovsep, the sons of the banker Mikayel Abdullahyan from Kayseri of Armenian descent appended signature to the 19th century Ottomania and the photographs of Istanbul taken in that era. Arriving at Istanbul alongside a German general during the Crimean War, chemist Rabach set up a photography studio here. This studio is where Vichen, the eldest of the brothers known as Abdullah Brothers, learned photography by working as a retouching dabster. Then he arranged for his brother Kework to work at the same studio too. When their master decided to return back to his homeland they took over the studio. In a short while, to learn the intricacies of this art, they headed over to Paris -the art center of the era- and received training there. Drawing the attention of the art circles upon their return the brothers established their own brand that become a success before long: Abdullah Frères (Abdullah Brothers).
In time, their fame reached the ears of Sultan Abdülmecit. The brothers were so spoken about that the Sultan posed for them and became the first Sultan to be photographed in Ottoman history. And hence, Abdullah Brothers became the first to photograph the
Sultan! Later, during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, they came to be referred to as “The Photographers of the Sultan” that is to say the exclusive photographers of the Sultan.
And befitting that eminence, they started residing in the palace. Such that after the reign of Abdülaziz, they continued to act as imperial photographers during Abdülhamid II’s rule. Photographing each corner of the empire at the behest of Abdülhamid, the brothers enabled us to bear witness to that era. To shoot the photography ordered album, Topkapı Palace was totally evacuated, and was transferred to the Dolmabahçe and Yıldız Palaces. And only the officials remained at Topkapı. Looking at the album consisting of 64 photos in total, it becomes easier to see what pervades to this day from the past. You see that the same structures breathed life in a different form. For instance, the Haliç chain photograph in the album takes you back to the days of Istanbul’s conquest. Getting you to time travel in a sense, this shot serves to document the eras past. Incidentally, let us mention that a part of this chain is on display at the Istanbul Archeology Museum.
If we get back, once again, to the imperial album, the black eunuchs waiting at the gates of the Harem (Seraglio), the now desolate but then prepped and primed Baghdad Pavilion in anticipation of the Sultan’s arrival, photographs taken of the exterior of the gate of Salutation (Babüsselam) and those right before it you may see all those you’ve never seen before in the Topkapı Palace Photography Album…
Did you know that Sultan Abdülhamid II who was quite interested in photography had an important photo collection prepared for the US National Library? Abdullah Brothers contributed to this collection that consists of 51 albums and 1819 photographs, with 35 albums consisting of 1292 photographs. Likewise, we see
their name in the Yıldız Palace Album prepared in the same era. The brothers had the chance to photograph many important figures like the King of Great Britain, the Chancellor of Germany, the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. But among the portraits they shot, the most interesting one might be that of Mark Twain. Abdullah Brothers had captured that famous portrait of Mark Twain when he happened to visit Istanbul during a voyage… Becoming a member of the Société Française de Photographie the Brothers were granted with the 4th Degree Osmaniye Badge – a symbol of heroism in 1892-, and the 3rd Degree Order of Medjidi designed in Abdülmecit’s reign. Kework and Hovsep visited Cairo as the inviteés of the Egyptian Khedive (Viceroy) Tevfik Pasha. Staying there for some time and working as photographers, the two brothers returned back to Istanbul. However, the wheels had started to come off. In 1899, Studio Abdullah Biraderler, the fame of which went beyond Ottoman borders was sold to the famous photographers Pascal Sebah and Polycarpe Joailier’s studio, Sebah & Joaililer with all their negatives. After the sale of their studio the eldest of the brothers Vichen passed away. Buried in Maçka, Istanbul, his tomb is unknown and is lost.