*** Bulgarian boys clothes -- photography








Bulgarian Photography

Bulgarian photography
Figure 1.--This oval cabinent card was made in 1927. This style of frame and mount was more common in Germany and America during the 1900s. We do see this color being used for paper frames in America.

We do not yet have much information about photography in Bulgaria. We think trends were very silimar to those in the rest of Europe, especially Germany. The general pattern in the Balkans after the various countries achieved independence was for foreigners to setup studios. So far the earlist photigraphs we have found are from about 1880. As most are undated, they could date from the late-1870s. The Bulgarian Historical Archive (BHA) with its adjoining "Portraits and Photos" Collection is part of the Manuscript - Documental and Literary Heritage Division in the St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library. The BHA collection began in 1879 when together with archive collections and some separate acquisitions also begins the collecting of photographic materials of historical importance. We note Germans setting up studios. Because of centuries of Ottoman rule, Bulgaria and the Balkans in general were extremely backward technologically. This meant that modern trends were rapidly introduced in Bulgaria during the 19th century. The first Bulgarian photographer we notice is Georgi Danchov (Георги Данчов) (1846–1908). He began as a revolutionry aginst Ottoman control and was an artist, subsequently becoming involved with photography. We do note some rather dated trends in the early-20th century. We do not yet have a large enough archive to know how common this was. We have not yet found any early photographic formats (Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes) from Bulgria. That does not mean that none exist, but if they do they were clearly not very common. We only begin seeing Bulgarian images with the appearance of albumen printing. The earliest images we have found so far are cabinet cards. We are not yet sure about CDVs.

Background

We do not yet have much information about photography in Bulgaria. Because of centuries of Ottoman rule, Bulgaria and the Balkans in general were extremely backward technologically. The Ottoman Empire in the 19th century became known as the Sick Man of Europe. This was largely because Ottoman society was incapable of generating modern technology. This ws ot just the case of the Ottoman Empire, but the Muslim world in general. Islamits today want to blame their backwardness on the Europeans, bit in fact the entire Muslim world was extrodinarily backward. The Ottoman Empire as backward as it was, was actually the least backward of all Muslim societies worldwide. This meant that modern trends were only intoduced in Bulgaria after areas of the country were liberated by the Russians as a result of the Russo-Turkish War (1878-79). As a result, many modern trends were introduced in Bulgaria during the late-19th century.

European Influences

We think Bulgarian photographic trends, at least after independence was partially achieved (1878-79), were very silimar to those in the rest of Europe, especially Germany. Most early photographs we have found were taken by foreign European photgraphers beginning about 1880. Germans were especially important. The general pattern in the Balkans after the various countries achieved independence was for foreigners to setup studios. The technological backwarness of the Ottoman Empire prevented the development of a photograhic industry. Photography of course was just one technical area. Ottoman society was simply incapable of generating science and technology. An Ottomon control restricted contacts with techniclly advanced Europe. And the 19th century brought an expolsion of modern technology in Europe. Bulgarian vecause of the Ottomons was unable to participare in this. This was the general pattern in the Muslim world. They had to import technology from Europe or hire Europeans. So far the earlist photigraphs we have found are from about 1880 and were studios set up by foreigners.

Chronology

As most early photographs are undated, they could date from the late-1870s. Some atudios may have been set up during the Ottoman era, but we have not yet found any yet. The Bulgarian Historical Archive (BHA) with its adjoining "Portraits and Photos" Collection is part of the Manuscript - Documental and Literary Heritage Division in the St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library. The BHA collection began in 1879 when together with archive collections and some separate acquisitions also begins the collecting of photographic materials of historical importance. We note Germans setting up studios. We note some rather dated trends in the early-20th century. We do not yet have a large enough archive to know how common this was.

Photographers

The first Bulgarian photographer we notice is Georgi Danchov (Георги Данчов) (1846–1908). He began as a revolutionry aginst Ottoman control and was an artist, subsequently becoming involved with photography.

Formats

We have not yet found any early photographic formats (Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes) from Bulgria. That does not mean that none exist, but if they do they were clearly not very common. This was because Bulgaria was still dominated by the backward Ottoman Empire during the period that these formats were most common (1840s-50s). We only begin seeing Bulgarian images with the appearance of albumen printing and as the country was in the process of liberation from the Ottomans. The earliest images we have found so far are cabinet cards, we think date to the early-1880s. There may have been albumen photographs taken earlier, but they were not common and we have not yet found any. Usually the information on the front inclused 'Cabinet Portrait' We do not see tht in America and western Europe. We are not yet sure about CDVs. The CDV was the first alnumen format to become popular (1860s). It appeared a few years before the cabinet card. But all of this was while Bulgaria was still under Ottoman control and contacts with the West and Western technologies like photography were limited. We do not know if CDVs were taken. We suspect that they were, but cabinet cards were clearly the dominant format. Our limited Bulgarian archive makes assssments difficult. With the 20th century comes family snapshots. Various features of these prints are helpful in dating, but we do not yet ave enough dated images to do this effectively.






HBC






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Created: 2:48 AM 5/10/2009
Last updated: 10:08 AM 9/14/2016