Robertson had trained as an engraver and this photograph reveals his and Beato's interest in the sculptural qualities of Istanbul's architecture. The albumen process enabled photographers to record minute detail effectively. This picture presents an assortment of ornamental patterns and inscriptions which thoroughly cover the surface of the building. Particularly notable are the wooden shutters on the right and the stucco around the water fountain.
Felice Beato (Italian / British, 1825 - about 1908)
Born in Venice, Felice Beato was a much-travelled photographer. He experienced and recorded the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny before travelling to China and Japan. He was involved in a business partnership with his brother-in-law, James Robertson, and the two ran photographic studios in Istanbul and Malta.
James Robertson (British, about 1813 - 1888)
James Robertson was as an amateur artist, illustrator and photographer. He made illustrations and daguerreotype pictures of the Crimean War after the photographer Roger Fenton had left the front. Robertson later worked with Felice Beato and became an official British photographer.
