40 photographs of Turkestan. [Second half of 19th century]. Arranged in 1900 in a fine photo album.
Early impressive photographs presenting nature views, villages (a doctor during work), cities and splendid buildings in Turkestan. It seems that the photographs were taken during a tour of a small delegation, headed by a Russian officer (in one of the photographs an officer in uniform can be seen and on another photograph - a reception in a railway station, with Russian flags in the background). Turkestan area (central Asia), populated by different Turkish people (Turkmens, Kazakhs, Kyrguz and Khazars) encompasses some of the most important early cities of central-Asian culture, amongst them Sumer, Bukhara, Toshkent and Samarqand. Size of most photographs: 17X12.5cm. Two photographs: 12.5X8.5 cm, one (on the cover) 7.5X4 cm. Good condition. Cloth album consisting of heavy cardboard leaves and a decorated title page with the writing "Turkestan" in Cyrillic letters, good condition. Album cover stained and slightly torn.