Scope and Content of Collection

The album contains 50 cartes-de-visite of Algeria and Algerians by various photographers; a two-part panorama of Algiers by Jean Geiser made from two joined horizontal cabinet cards; and a panoramic view of Oran by A. Decugis showing the port and military hospital, also on a horizontal cabinet card.

The Geiser panorama of Algiers is the first image in the album, adhered to the verso of the blank page preceding the carte-de-visite mounts. The first part of the album is devoted to views of Algiers, Blida, and Oran, while the remaining images are studio portraits of Algerian "types." The larger view of Oran is the final image in the album.

Rather than being inserted in their slots back-to-back, the cartes-de-visite are arranged in the album so that their versos are showing. The makers of the bulk of the photographs are not identified by imprints on their versos, and any imprints on their rectos are covered by the album mounts. In addition to Geiser and Decugis, photographers known to be represented in the album include Alexandre Leroux; L. Cairol; Elie Karsenty; and A. Rigod.

The album has bossed brown calf covers with floral and geometric designs.

Ink annotations are written in French on the versos of 33 of the cartes-de-visite, and on the rectos of the panoramas of Algiers and Oran.

Arrangement

The album is arranged in a single series:
Series I.Carte-de-visite album of Algeria, 1870s-1880s.