Buy this book on-line

Fiorillo, Luigi : Original Photograph - "449. Groupe de decrotteurs." ["Group of Boot Cleaners," Middle East, c. 1870s-1898]

Text in French. Original black-and-white photograph with sepia tones mounted on beige board. Part of an unidentified torn photo also mounted on back. The photo on front shows a portrait of six boys, who work as "decrotteurs," posing with the tools of their trade near a wall or facade in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. The term, "decrotteur," refers to the occupation of a boot cleaner or shoeshiner who scrapes away mud and debris off of shoes. Each of the boys poses with a shoe scraping tool and a foot pedestal on which clients rest one of their feet, with shoe on, while their shoe is being cleaned. Title printed at bottom of photo. Photographer's watermark in lower-right corner of photo: "L. Fiorillo, Phot." Undated, circa 1870s-1898. 4" x 6." Photo is very clean and intact overall but has slight surface rubbing, age toning, a small chip affecting the upper-left corner of the image, and red ink, colored pencil, or crayon on back. A Very Good copy. Luigi Fiorillo (1847-1898) was an Italian photographer who specialized in photographing portraits and scenery in the Middle East and North Africa in countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, and Palestine. He exhibited internationally and had his own photography studio. Fiorillo also had some political involvement during his career. In 1881, he wrote a report about the revolt of the Egyptian Army led by Ahmed 'Urabi, and later, he photographed the aftermath of Britain's Bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882. From 1887-1888, Fiorillo joined an expedition led by the Italian lieutenant-general, Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano, to reclaim territory in Eritrea lost to Ethiopia after the Battle of Dogali (1887). Fiorillo and two other photographers, Edoardo Martinori and Francesco Nicotra, also documented scenes in what was known as the "firstborn colony" in Italian Eritrea. Beginning in 1890, Fiorillo had a business partner, A. Marques, and changed the name of his studio to "Marques & Fiorillo photographers & editors, Assuan." Fiorillo passed away in Alexandria, Egypt in 1898. His widow, Maria Fontanals, and sons continued to operate his studio until the 1920s. One of his sons, Federico Fiorillo (?-1957) went on to have a career in photography.. Photographic Image. Book Condition: Collectible-Very Good. Binding: No Binding

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.