 |
 |
| |
How photography came to Turkey ?
|
| |
|
Photography first came to Turkey at the end of the 19th
century. Of course, Muslims objected to this, and didn’t want to
embrace photography which is why first Ottoman photographers were
not Muslims, and neither were first models photographed.
Studios
started spreading all over Istanbul over years, but at first,
without Muslim support and help.
First photo studios, however, were not Istanbul based. They
were mostly positioned in the provincial parts of Turkey, and in
cities such as Izmir and Salonika. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Bahaeddin Bey is the name of the first photographer with an
Istanbul based studio. He didn’t open studio in the biggest city at
first. He started developing his photo-business from Crete, then
transferred to Izmir and after that opened a first photo-studio in
Istanbul, in Cagaoglu Hill in number 59.
That was the first studio in Istanbul and numerous were
opened in future years, but the one with most success was a studio
opened by Ferit Ibrahim Bey. He was an innovator and has dedicated
decades to development and promotion of new and upcoming art form –
photography.
He was a famous photographer, worked as a war reporter and
for numerous newspaper too, part time worked as a cinema operator
and musician and painter (he was a person with many talents and
strong creativity, no doubt). Ferit Ibrahim Bey has founded the
first club for photo-enthusiasts in Turkey, proclaimed the club
leaders, and finally opening its door for photographers in Istanbul,
on September 9th, 1908.
This amazing man – Ferit Ibrahim Bey, studied Law during his
school years, but always showed great love and appreciation for art.
His first camera was a gift from his mother, who always encouraged
his love for art, and his passion to learn and try new things. He
was very passionate and interested in trends coming from abroad, so
he frequently bought foreign magazines and books about photography
and modern art, and learned about it. He later applied those trends
on his work, and so many of his photographs ended up being published
in European and Turkish best magazines.
Since his business was progressing, he decided to open a new
modern photo-studio in Beyoglu, in 1919. Beyoglu became famous
because there were already different photo-studios there, owned and
operated by non-Muslim society.
Six years later Ferit Ibrahim Bey, received a very
interesting offer from none other than Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, who offered him to become an official presidential
photographer, and also gave him a first task – to make a film about
the city of Ankara.
Although his studio in Beyoglu was very successful and
important for the development of photography on a national level,
Ferit Ibrahim Bey decided to close it and move to Ankara in 1925.
There, he was working as an official photographer for Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, photographing him and his guests on numerous occasions.
After getting tired of it, he decided to quit the job (with
Ataturk’s blessing) and head back to Beyoglu, to open another
photo-studio on Istiklal Caddesi. The most important photo he had
there was a portrait taken by him, showing Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
with emperor’s signature.
The studio in Beyoglu was a place where photographers
gathered to talk, to read about photography, to take an advice from
famous Ferit Ibrahim Bey, buy equipment and work further on
developing their skills.
After finishing his professional career, Ferit Ibrahim Bey
moved away to Kadikoy, where he also had a (smaller) studio, and
died in 1953. His son continued in his father’s footsteps, and
continued to work in Ankara, helping the development of photography
in Turkey.
The story about the first photographer in Turkey - Ferit
Ibrahim Bey, and his first and most successful studio in Beyoglu, is
very important for understanding what this art form went through,
during the bumpy years of development at the beginning of the 20th
century.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of Ferit Ibrahim Bey, and his hard
work, Turkey eventually embraced photography, and started seeing how
useful and important it is!
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
<-Back
|
|
|
 |
|
CITIES
