Sébah&Joaillier® photography

Over the years, I have gained access to many physical and digital photographs by Sébah&Joaillier that have been part of my family’s history. My aim here is to convert them all into a digital collection and to present these beauties to the public and to future generations; I see no benefit in leaving them on dusty shelves.

 

Although I place particular emphasis on the partnership period, photographs from different periods, both before and after, are also included.

 

The number of Sébah&Joaillier photographs is limited. In a catalogue published by the studio in 1930, it can be seen that—apart from cabinet portraits and special shoots—the number of listed photographs does not exceed 1,600. In addition to these, there are also much rarer photographs that were not included in the catalogue.

 

Due to the routine day-to-day work of the studio, a large number of cabinet portraits are available on the market. They can be found in the old albums of almost every family.

 

Most of the photographs are albumen prints from the period, with the remainder being silver prints.

 

The fact that many of the photographs were taken in the 1880s–1890s and printed on very thin cotton-based papers makes proper physical preservation particularly important. Due to their organic structure, albumen prints in particular are susceptible to deterioration over time.

 

Naturally, early albumen photographs are of great importance to collectors. With their sepia-toned hues, they have an antique appearance, and while their value continues to rise, they are becoming increasingly rare. At the time, these photographs mainly attracted the interest of tourists, which is why some can still be found today in families, private collections and museums outside Türkiye as well.

 

From 1895 onward, these photographs were also used by editors for the production of postcards, with Sébah&Joaillier photographs being among the most widely used.

 

As of December 2025, there are about 2,300 photos here in the galleries, they are updated as new photographs become available. In the submenu, you can view photographs on different subjects; by clicking on an image, you can see it enlarged or in full-page format and read its description. You can click the heart icon to like an image, or use the arrow icon to share the page on social media.

 

I hope you enjoy your visit.

 

Fabrizio Casaretto