| RCS/Cobham/RCS.Cob.18.121-122 contains: |
|---|
| Y3018A |
Through Cyprus with the camera, in the autumn of 1878. Volume 1 |
| Y3018B |
Through Cyprus with the camera, in the autum of 1878. Volume 2 |
|
Cobham Collection
| Title |
Through Cyprus with the camera, in the autumn of 1878. Volume 1 |
| Reference |
Y3018A |
| Covering Dates |
1878 |
| Extent and Medium |
31 images in 1 volume |
|
Access and Use
|
The volume is located at: RCS.Cob.18.121. |
| Further information |
Indexed |
| Index Terms |
| Asia |
| Cyprus |
| Cyprus |
| RCS/Cobham/Y3018A contains: |
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1
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Sir Garnet Wolseley K.C.B., K.C.M.G. 57 x 90 mm. Woodburytype. A head and shoulders portrait of Sir Garnet Wolseley in military uniform and medals. Wolseley, at very short notice, left London on 22 July 1878 to take up his appointment as High Commissioner of Cyprus. It was not a position he enjoyed, commenting later: 'I had always heard that the Turk was a clever diplomatist, but of all the good bargains he had ever made, this one about Cyprus is much the best - he takes all the plums out of the island and throws upon us the responsibility of governing it well' (quoted in: Maurice and Arthur 1924, p.93). His gaze, moreover was more longingly fixed upon Egypt and the security of the route to India (a wish that was to be fulfilled in 1882; see Y3041A). After nine months spent trying to create a healthy administration out of the apathy and corruption of Turkish rule Wolseley, to his relief, was recalled at the end of April 1879, in order to take over the Governorship of Natal.
Good condition.. |
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2
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Larnaca [i.e. Lárnax] Marina, looking north. 180 x 119 mm. Autotype. A view looking along the Larnaca (also known as Lárnax) waterfront with balconied houses looking onto jetties and quays: 'Rude fetties invade the sea, while the shore bristles with wooden piles, the wrecks of landing stages, or waterside cafes. Larnaca, indeed, looks as if it had been groping its way seawards, with a thousand antennae, in search of purer air or social reform. Nevertheless, its old-world aspect, its rich colours, its quaint architecture, and even its decay, all tend to render the place one of the most picturesque of Levantine ports' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.1).
Good condition.. |
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3
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Larnaca [i.e. Lárnax] Marine, looking south. 172 x 67 mm. Autotype. A view looking along the northern portion of the Marine showing waterfront houses: 'When the island was transferred to British rule speculators flocked to Larnaca, and companies were started in London for the immediate development of Cyprus. The place was to be raised from the dust, and become an Eastern El Dorado. The result was that rents for such houses as are pictured in the photograph rose from forty to three hundred or four hundred pounds a year' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.2). Just outside the photograph on the right are situated the Commissariat, Post Office and various landing wharves for merchandise.
Good condition.. |
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4
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The seashore, Larnaca [i.e. Lárnax]. 182 x 114 mm. Autotype. A view looking along the stony seashore towards the Marina in the distance with a man standing beside cactus bushes in the foreground: 'Although simple in its elements the scene is one of the most attractive in the neighbourhood of Larnaca. The rich green thickets of cacti harmonize well with the warm hue of the shore, the undulating, ever-changing line of clear blue sea; while the mid-space is dotted with pale green shrubs, and distant groves of date-palms wave over the gardens of the Marina' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.11).
Good condition.. |
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5
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Church of St Lazarus, Larnaca [i.e. Lárnax]. 177 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A view looking towards the 10th or 11th century church with finely carved gravestones standing in the shade of two trees in the foreground.
Good condition.. |
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6
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A street in Larnaca [i.e. Lárnax]. 176 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A view looking along a narrow street with overhanging balconies. With two men in a doorway in the foreground: 'The streets of Larnaca are narrow, and, as a rule, devoid of pavement, recalling in their general aspect the older quarters of Alexandria, or Cairo. The houses, however, are more European in style than those of Egypt ... In front, over the central doorway, projects a verandah, closed in around, and so fitted with Venetian shutters as to admit the breeze, but to exclude the sunlight' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.5).
Good condition.. |
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7
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A native bullock cart. 184 x 119 mm. Autotype. A view showing a rough wooden cart drawn by two oxen, with two Cypriots seated on the vehicle. Thomson describes it 'as picturesque in appearance as it is incomprehensible in construction' (1879, vol.1, p.6).
Good condition.. |
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8
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Selling bread. 85 x 107 mm. Woodburytype. A portrait of an old woman seated on a chair, with a basket on her lap: 'In the features of this old dame, who earns her living by selling bread in Larnaca, there still linger traces of youthful comeliness. Her thin locks are silvered with age, and the years, as they dragged heavily along, have furrowed her brow. Yet her eye is clear and bright and wears a look of calm contentment ... She might, indeed, pass for an old Scotch crone ...' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.7).
Good condition.. |
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9
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A Cyprian maid. 89 x 110 mm. Woodburytype. A sensitive portrait of a young woman wearing a striped dress and embroidered head scarf: 'The accompanying illustration may be taken as an ordinary type of the women of Cyprus ... it may be added that they dress modestly, and many of them follow the Turkish fashion of keeping the greater portion of the face covered. Some of them ... are not unworthy descendants of the Cypriote maids of classic fame. The native beauty of the race is, however, seen at its best in the children, for the women, before they have reached maturity, are sent out to work in the fields, and are thus early trained to a life of toil' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.8). This fine photograph is reminiscent, in pose and feeling, to the portrait of a young Chinese labouring girl in Thomson, John (1873-1874), Illustrations of China and its people, London: S Low, Marston, Low and Searle, plate 5.
Good condition.. |
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10
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Youth and old age. 85 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A view showing a young Cypriot girl seated beside an aged relative in the open air: 'Although it has been stated on high authority that in Cyprus aged parents are often treated harshly by their children, yet, in travelling through the island, one happily meets with examples of the tenderest filial affection ... There are daughters in Cyprus, unblessed by parental endowments, who spend their days in sedentary toil in order to make life pleasant for their aged relatives' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.9).
Good condition.. |
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11
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Cypriote peasants. 157 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A view showing two Cypriot men seated in a courtyard: 'The two men represented in this picture were selected at random from a throng of peasants, such as may be seen any day in the streets of Larnaca. The man on the right, standing erect in his native attire, was a powerful and picturesque specimen of his race ... He was a native of an inland village, and had been down to Larnaca with produce. He had a fine, open, expressive countenance, and nothing would have afforded him greater pleasure than to have acted as the guide and protector of any stranger who desired to visit his country home' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.10).
Good condition.. |
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12
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Channel Squadron Gate, Nicosia. 184 x 117 mm. Autotype. A view showing the gate and city walls, with Cypriots posed in front of the archway for the photographer.
Good condition.. |
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13
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Nicosia, from the City Wall. 182 x 119 mm. Autotype. A view looking over the town from the outer ramparts, with palms and small houses in the foreground and minarets on the horizon: 'Nicosia may be seen to greatest advantage from the summit of its wall. In the distance rises a forest of tapering minarets, that contrast well with graceful palms, and with the undulating lines of foliage that mark the sites of the gardens of the metropolis. The atmosphere, obscured by a heat-haze, imparts a soft, but indescribable, charm to the distant objects in the landscape. The square, flat-roofed houses, with their small windows and narrow, walled-in spaces, are suggestive of a strongly conservative population, where each family had determined to dwell alone, cut off from the outer world' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.12).
Good condition.. |
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14
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Nicosia, from the City Wall. 180 x 117 mm. Autotype. A view looking between clumps of palm trees towards minarets in the distance: 'These heavenward-pointing spires of a crushed and heavy laden race vie with Nature in adorning the scene ... The photograph affords a most attractive glimpse of the capital, which here appears to be a perfect garden of cultivation. The picture faithfully represents a portion of the outskirts of the town, but many quarters are to be found in which desolation reigns supreme' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.13).
Good condition.. |
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15
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St Sophia, Nicosia. 177 x 115 mm. Autotype. A view looking along a street towards cathedral buildings, topped by minarets. Situated in the centre of Nicosia the Cathedral was adapted for use as a mosque after the Turkish Conquest of the island in 1570-71: 'It is fortunate that Moslem economy, or, perhaps, a lack of fanatical zeal, has preserved to us so much of this fine specimen of early Gothic architecture. The tower, which once crowned the edifice, has given place to galleried minarets; the old sonorous summons of the cathedral bells has been exchanged for muezzins [public criers], which each morning and each evening call the faithful to prayer' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.14).
Good condition.. |
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16
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St Nicholas, Nicosia. 175 x 114 mm. Autotype. A view showing the elaborate entrance to the church with a few Cypriots around the doorway: 'Hard by the Cathedral of St Sophia stands a church once dedicated to St. Nicholas, but now used as a granary, whose richly-sculptured portal, the subject of this photograph, is one of the finest examples of its kind in Cyprus' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.15). The building, in a sad state of disrepair in this photograph, has now been completely demolished.
Good condition.. |
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17
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Native Group, Nicosia. 171 x 113 mm. Woodburytype. A view showing a group of Cypriot men in various attitudes. A carefully composed group which illustrates Thomson's perfectionist approach to his craft: 'The accompanying group was taken in front of the ancient Cathedral (now a mosque) of St Sophia. A friendly-disposed crowd of spectators had gathered round the mosque to witness the process of photographing the exterior of the building, and while the pious moslems held themselves aloof, a large number of native Greeks volunteered to sit for their portraits; those selected were deemed fair specimens of the inhabitants of Nicosia. The Turk in the distance was introduced into the picture accidentally. He was leaving the mosque, and, as he halted for a second to view the proceedings, was unconsciously portrayed. Two boys figure on the right, the sons of negro parents, who not many years ago were slaves in a Turkish household' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.16).
Good condition.. |
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18
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On the Ramparts. Nicosia. 176 x 120 mm. Autotype. A view showing two Cypriots standing on the city walls with hills and the road from Nicosia visible in the distance.
Good condition.. |
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19
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An aged Cypriote. 84 x 114 mm. Woodburytype. A view showing an aged woman with her arm round a young girl. Thomson's comments give an instructive insight into the difficulties of photography with bulky equipment and long exposures: 'Any attempts to photograph the fleeting expression of sentiment in the human face is almost certain to fail; nevertheless, a chance shot with the camera secured for us the accompanying pleasing picture - one which conveys something of the feelings that crossed the mind of the aged dame as she caressed the pretty little Greek girl who stands by her side' (1879, vol.1, p.18).
Good condition.. |
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20
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A Water-carrier. 90 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A view showing a woman posed against a wall and holding a large earthenware jar.
Good condition.. |
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21
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A woman of the labouring class. 87 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A simply posed, but intense portrait of a poorly dressed Cypriot woman standing against a wall: 'This is a typical woman of the lower orders in Cyprus; one who to a powerful physique, well-formed features, and dark eyes, adds an expression of unflinching resolution. It was some little time before she could be persuaded that neither sorcery nor witchcraft were practised in the mysterious operations of photography; but, at least, the desire to see her likeness overcame her scruples, and she faced the camera with statuesque immobility' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.19).
Good condition.. |
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22
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Beggars. 84 x 115 mm. Woodburytype. A view showing a beggarwoman and her two children standing in the street: 'The woman shown in the present picture was evidently no professional beggar. She simply presented herself at the doorway of the house where I happened to be lodging; there she waited silently until someone came and spoke to her and gave bread to her children, which they greedily devoured' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.19).
Good condition.. |
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23
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Kerynia [i.e. Kirínia] Plain, from the hills. 182 x 119 mm. Autotype. A view showing hills in the foreground dotted with olive trees, with the plain beyond.
Good condition.. |
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24
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Kerynia [i.e. Kirínia] Harbour. 179 x 116 mm. Autotype. A view looking down on the little harbour with fishing boats at anchor, and the ramparts of the medieval castle beyond, overlooking the bay.
Good condition.. |
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25
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Kerynia [i.e. Kirínia], facing the sea. 179 x 115 mm. Autotype. A view looking along the rocky sea front towards waterside houses and a minaret.
Good condition.. |
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26
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Kerynia [i.e. Kirínia], showing the camp of the 42nd Highlanders. 184 x 121 mm. Autotype. A view looking over the flat roofs of Kerynia (also known as Kirínia) towards the mountains behind the town. The tents of the Black Watch can be seen between the mountains and town: 'The houses seemed to be piled one above another in this Kerynian group, and the roofs look like platforms common to the whole town. Indeed, it sometimes happens that the roofs join one to the other so as to form an agreeable promenade where friends may stroll at eventide and study the proceedings of their neighbours in the courts below' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.23).
Good condition.. |
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27
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Ancient Abbey, Belle Paix [i.e. Bellapais]. (Distant view). 179 x 116 mm. Autotype. A view looking across rough scrubland towards the ruins of the Abbey of Bellapaix with the mountains beyond: '...the greatest care, aided by the monastic taste and experience, seems to have been exercised in selecting the site for the Abbey of Belle Paix. While the surrounding scenery embraces one of the finest panoramas on the shores of the Mediterranean, the crystalline purity of the mountain springs hard by could only have been rivalled by the excellence of the wine that the neighbouring vineyards once supplied' (Thomson 1879, vol.1, p.24). The abbey lies about five miles east of Kyrenia.
Good condition.. |
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28
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Belle Paix, near Kerynia [i.e. Bellapais, near Kirínia]. 180 x 115 mm. Autotype. A view looking over the roofs of the village of Belle Paix (Bellapais) towards the mountains beyond. The valley in which the village lies is lushly vegetated with trees and shrubs. The building in the foreground is the village school.
Good condition.. |
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29
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Ancient Abbey, Belle Paix. 180 x 115 mm. Autotype. A view showing a central courtyard and cloisters in the ruined Abbey with a few Cypriots in the foreground and mountains in the distance.
Good condition.. |
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30
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Entrance to the Great Hall. 181 x 115 mm. Autotype. A view showing the superb stonework and fan-vaulting in the Abbey.
Good condition.. |
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31
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Rock-cut Temple. Ruins of Lapethus [i.e. Lapithos]. 183 x 115 mm. Autotype. A view showing the ruins of a temple at Lapithos, an ancient city-kingdom of Cyprus.
Good condition.. |
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