The Image of Naples in Sultan Abdülhamid II’s Photography Collection

Alev Berberoğlu

Giorgio Sommer, Napoli Panorama (n. 1102), undated, photograph pasted in an album. Istanbul University Head Office of Library and Documentation, Department of Rare Works Library, YSKH.YA.91452.

Giorgio Sommer, Napoli Panorama (n. 1102), undated, photograph pasted in an album. Istanbul University Head Office of Library and Documentation, Department of Rare Works Library, YSKH.YA.91452.

This research project seeks to understand how the multi-layered cultural heritage of the Metropolitan City – previously, the Province – of Naples was represented in the photography collection of Abdülhamid II who reigned from 1876 to 1909 as the Ottoman Sultan. Abdülhamid’s rich collection with more than 36,000 images, also called the Yıldız Palace Albums, is one of the most important visual collections that have survived from this period, and it practically initiated the academic discussions on the history of photography in the Ottoman Empire.
This project concentrates on analyzing over two hundred images from Naples and its outlying areas –these dispersed across the pages of five albums – in terms of their creation, acquisition, and perception in the Ottoman context. Categorically speaking, these images can be divided into two main groups: the first category refers to the urban center with a focus on panoramic views and cultural heritage reflected in its landmarks, whereas the second group covers mainly the outskirts, sites with exceptional archaeological and heritage value, places of picturesque beauty, and – last but not least – the Mount Vesuvius, encompassing its scenic charm, imposing silhouette, as well as the havoc it has wreaked in the region with devastating earthquakes and volcanic eruptions through the centuries.
The most important question that lies at the heart of this project is: Why was an Ottoman ruler seemingly so interested in the photographs of an Italian province that provided glimpses into its urban layout, archaeology, geography, nature, and even in the catastrophes it endured? Further investigation that seeks to determine whether the sultan’s interest can be traced in any field other than collecting photographs deepens the discussion. Moreover, examining the intentions with which the photographers took these pictures and juxtaposing them with their perceptions in the Ottoman context will illuminate what kind of semantic changes the photographs have undergone in being transposed from one distinct culture to another.
In short, the photographs in question deserve an in-depth visual, material, and historical examination not only because of their aesthetic value but also because of their cultural significance and informative content as visual documents at a time when there was a growing professional interest in archaeology and museology on the part of the Ottoman State. All in all, this research aims to illustrate how photographs from abroad were effective in transmitting visual information about distant locales, propagating certain ideas (or ideals) through image-making and distributing processes, and stimulating cultural dialogues between the Ottoman Empire and Italy at the turn of the twentieth century.