“DYNASTY AND THE CAMERA: PORTRAITS FROM THE OTTOMAN
COURT”
8 January – 29 May 2011
“Dynasty and the Camera: Portraits from the Ottoman Court” exhibition will be held
on 8 January – 29 May 2011. The exhibition consists of a selection from the Ottoman
portrait photographs from Ömer M. Koç collection shows the high level of technical
and artistic terms of photography by the interest of the Ottoman imperial family.
This exhibition marks the importance given by the Ottoman sultans, other members
of the royal dynasty and statesmen in the 19th century and includes the photographs
of Prince Ömer Faruk the son of Caliph Abdülmecid, Nazime Sultan the daughter of
Sultan Abdülaziz, Fehime Sultan the daughter of Sultan Murad V, Prince Yusuf
İzzeddin the son of Sultan Abdülaziz, Sultan Murad V, Prince Mehmed Selim the son
of Sultan Abdülhamid II, Prince Mehmed Seyfeddin and Esma Sultan the children of
Sultan Abdülaziz.
During the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, who acceded to the throne in 1861 and was
keenly interested in various branches of fine arts, Ottoman portrait photography
reached a pinnacle of achievment in both technical and artistic terms, thanks to the
skill of the Abdullah Brothers, who specialised in portrait photography. Vasilaki
Kargopulo, who was appointed as court photographer in 1878, two years after Sultan
Abdülhamid II came to the throne, contiuned to take similarly high quality portraits of
the royal family and statesmen. As ameteur photography gained momentum from the
turn of the century onwards, members of the royal family began to take their own
photographs, the number of family photographs taken in private areas of royal
residences increased significantly.
Some members of the Ottoman royal family were particularly interested in portrait
photography, notably Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi, Heir Apparent Yusuf İzzeddin
Efendi, and the royal princes Ömer Faruk, Mehmed Selaheddin and Osman Fuad,
who had their portrait photographs on various occasions from their childhood
onwards, and pioneered this interest among other members of the royal family as
expressions of loyalty and friendship continued for many years.