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Fiorillo, Luigi? : Original Photograph - "529. Arabe distribuant l'eau de la Mosquee." ["Arabe Distributing Water from the Mosque," 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 two Arab men on a dirt path by a small body of water in an desert landscape with low hills. One of the men has a water-carrying vessel on his back and looks down at a small cup or bowl in his right hand. He holds a cup in his left hand. The other man faces him and holds out his hands expectantly while he waits. Title printed at bottom of photo. Undated, circa 1870s-1898. 4" x 6." Photo is very clean and intact overall but has slight surface rubbing, age toning, a small chip in lower-right corner of board not affecting image, and red ink, colored pencil, or crayon on back. A Very Good copy. The photographer is likely Luigi Fiorillo as the style of the photograph and other identifying qualities such as the title and subject matter are similar to those in photos confirmed to be by him. 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

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