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98 original albumen photographs mounted on both sides of 49 leaves. Most captioned in the negative (in French), about half with additional ink manuscript descriptions or captions beneath the image (in English). 57 are signed in the negative by Sebah, a few are by Abdullah Freres, others unattributed. One of the photographs is of a sketch, another of a painting, the rest are from life. Images approx. 20x26 cm. (8x10¼") or reverse; album is 27x35.5 cm. (10½x13¾"), full brown morocco tooled in gilt, spine and front cover titled in gilt, rebacked with original spine strip laid on, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; with modern folding cloth box with leather spine label.

Superb photograph album of Egypt, the photographs primarily by the Ottoman pioneer photographer Pascal Sébah (1823-1886), who was born in Istanbul to a Syrian Catholic father and an Armenian mother. In 1857 he opened his first photography studio in Istanbul and by 1873 was successful enough to open another studio in Cairo. The photographs are in exceptional condition, very rich in tone, exhibiting much less fading than is generally the case. Included are views of the pyramids and other archeological remains; the Suez Canal; views of Cairo; Fellahin women; merchants; mosques, family groups; Shepheard Hotel in Cairo; boats on the Nile; hookah-smokers in a tea house; and many more. A complete listing of the images available on requests. With early bookseller's ticket from Florence, Italy, on verso of front free endpaper.