Stock ID #172252 10 Original Photographs of Borobudur c1900s. O. KURKDJIAN.
10 Original Photographs of Borobudur c1900s

10 Original Photographs of Borobudur c1900s

Soerabaia-Java: N.V. Photografisch Atelier, c 1900-1910. Stock ID #172252

10 black & white photographs 24 x 17.6cm of Borobadur Temple. Each is numbered within the image next to which is Foto Kurkdjian Soerabaia. This collection contains numbers 1, 5, 6, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 23, & 26.
The reverse of each photograph has the Dutch coat of arms, Origineele Opname Door, N.V. Photografisch Atelier KURKDJIAN, Soerabaia-Java. Rechten Verboden te Reproduceeren in Elken Vorm. All Rights Reserved. The photographs have been mounted in a photographic album at some stage, resulting in some creasing and yellowing from the glue residue to the corners. The top edge of image 17 has some loss but generally each image is in good condition with the ocassional closed tear. Each photograph has the stamp of Hotel Baraboerdoer Magelang with the name D.B. Kool in the centre on the rear. The photographs were probably made available at the hotel for the tourist market.

Onnes Kurkdjian was born in 1851 in Russia; he died in 1903 in Surabaya, Java. He was a professional photographer who was trained in Tbilisi, Moscow and Vienna, and like many Armenians of the time, he went to the east in search of work. He settled in Surabaya, a port town on the east end of Java, in 1884. From 1890 onwards his name is connected with a photographic atelier that, in its early period, was located at the Bultzingslowenplein.

While Kurkdjian primarily made portrait studies of Europeans in and around Surabaya and of Javanese women, he also photographed tropical forests, trees and volcanos. Kurkdjian's photographic style was characterized by the use of larger-format cameras to produce images of great clarity. In many senses, his work looks like that of the typical professional studio photographer working at the turn of the century. His portraits were printed on a textured matte surface, while views and record photographs were printed on glossy surfaces that were frequently ferrotyped.

Kurkdjian received commissions, but produced work for promotional purposes as well. One such example is the Queen's Album, which was made to commemorate Queen Wilhelmina's visit to Java on August 31, 1898, after which he stamped all his work with the Dutch coat of arms.

In 1897, Kurkdjian took on an English assistant, G. P. Lewis. After 1900, Kurkdjian cooperated closely with his associate; the Kurkdjian Atelier changed its name to Kurkdjian, O. & Co. Limited, and moved into new quarters in Surabaya.

Onnes Kurkdjian
Viewmaker and Entrepreneur: Hedi Hinzler

Garden of the East: Photography in Indonesia 1850s-1940s. Gael Newton.

When referring to this item please quote stockid 172252.

Price: $450.00 AU

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