The firm of Maison Bonfils, located in Beirut, Lebanon, was known for its popular photographs of the last decades of the Ottoman Empire. The French-born family of Félix Bonfils (1831-1885), his wife Marie Lydie Cabanis (1837-1918), and their son Adrien (1861-1929) settled in Beirut in 1867, making them among the first resident photographers in the Middle East. Their images depicted people, townscapes, and ancient ruins before a time of radical social change.
Félix Bonfils, who specialized in architectural photography, worked in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Greece. He established an international business with agents in many cities. Lydie managed the firm when her husband was traveling, and was active in the production of the albumen prints. She also made studio portraits, especially of the women, who were not allowed to be in the company of unrelated men. After Félix's death, his son ran the company until leaving the photography business around 1907. Although Lydie left Lebanon in 1916, Maison Bonfils was managed by Palestinian Abraham Guiragossian until he dissolved it in 1938.
Folios of Bonfils prints were sold to a world-wide clientele. This selection is taken from 127 prints, contained in four portfolios, that were transferred to the Hearst Museum from the UC Berkeley Library: two of Egypt; one of Baalbec, Lebanon; and one of Damascus, Syria. They were probably given between 1945 and 1953.
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