A family adventure
Félix Bonfils was a bookbinder in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort before becoming a photographer around 1860 in Alès, in the Gard department of France.
After several stays in Beirut, he settled there in 1867 with his wife Lydie and their children, Adrien and Félicie, to launch a family-run photography studio.
It flourished until its ownership changed in 1918. In the early 1870s, the workshop's catalog included 15,000 prints, covering numerous historical sites in more than 10 countries, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
Athènes, temple de Jupiter olympien et le mont Licabette (1880/1890) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Temple of Olympian Zeus and Mount Lycabettus, Athens
Holy places
Bonfils took many pictures of the holy places of Palestine. He published several albums—like this one, aimed at tourists and artists.
These volumes were shown at the 1878 Paris World's Fair and were awarded a prize. The wooden bookbinder covers of this edition are carved and inlaid with the Jerusalem cross.
Mont des Oliviers avec vue sur l'Eglise Sainte Madeleine (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
Vue de Jérusalem de l'Eglise Russe Sainte Madeleine (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
Russian Church of Saint Mary Magdalene built in 1888.
This picture is signed by Zangaki, a Greek photographer who worked with Bonfils.
View of Jerusalem from the Orthodox Church
Mosque of Omar
Dôme du Rocher, Jérusalem (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Temple Mount, Jerusalem
The Dome of the Rock, built in 691 on the plaza of the Temple of Solomon
Mur des Juifs un vendredi, n° 245 (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Jews' Wailing Wall one Friday
Remains of the ancient wall of the Temple of Solomon's court and a Jewish holy site of prayer and pilgrimage. At least three pictures of the Western Wall (also called the Wailing Wall or Kotel) are known to be by Bonfils. This one s
Façade du Saint-Sépulcre, Jérusalem (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Intérieur du Saint-Sépulcre, Jérusalem (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Holy Sepulchre, interior
Architecture
Depending on their location, some monuments allow for spectacular photographic compositions, which Bonfils favored. These photographs are the memory of an unforgettable journey and showcase the view of the Mar Saba monastery clingi
Rue du Caire, quartier Toulon, Egypte (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Street of Cairo, Egypt
The Toulon district and its houses adorned with fine balconies.
Salle hypostyle du temple d’Edfou, Egypte (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Temple of Edfu, Egypt
Temple de Karnak, Egypte (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Slanted Column in Karnak, Egypt
The composition chosen by Bonfils emphasizes the perspective and monumental scale of the sculpted columns. The foreground pattern attracts the eye, but the vanishing point reveals a surprise!
As he often did, Bonfils placed a person in the scene to convey the impressive size of the buildings. Try and find the person in each of the following photos.
Baalbek (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Capitals in Baalbek, Syria.
The scale of the construction is always highlighted through a human presence.
Pierre du Midi, Baalbek, Syrie (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
The Stone of the Pregnant Woman in Baalbek, Syria
This monumental stone is also sometimes called Stone of the South.
This block is considered to be one of the longest stones that was carved and transported by humans.
Photography techniques
The photographic techniques of the time required a rather long posing time to capture the image. If the photographed subject did not stand still, the image would look fantastical, like this shot taken in Syria, in Baalbek …
Baalbek, Syrie, vue de l’Acropole (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
View of the Baalbek Acropolis, Syria
… where the figure is blurred and ghost-like.
Phyloe, vue générale du temple d’Isis (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
General view of the Temple of Isis, in Phylae, Egypt
These palm trees moved in the wind during the taking of the photo.
People and scenes of daily life
Bonfils' studio left behind several portraits of locals taking part in everyday life situations.
Some of these were shot in the studio and others outdoors, like this view of the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, which teems with activity.
Femmes ramassant des pierres (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Druze women gathering stones
Marchands dans les rues de Jérusalem (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Merchants in a street of Jerusalem
Barques et bateliers à Jaffa (1880/1885) by Félix BonfilsBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Boatmen in Jaffa
Realization: Ville de Nîmes - Bibliothèque Carré d'Art
Iconography: © Ville de Nîmes - Bibliothèque Carré d’Art, Nîmes
