The following comes from Ken Jacobson's recently published Odalisques and Arabesques: Orientalist Photography 1839-1925 (Quaritch, 2007):
'This photographer is known only for a scarce series of charming, painterly carte-de-visite portraits of indigenous Moroccan sitters taken in the 1860's and 1870's. On the reverse, the photographs are often titled and then signed elaborately in pen. Such a dramatic flourish is highly unusual in the history of the carte-de-visite which was essentially among the first mass-produced forms of photography. It was typical to have the photographer's printed logo on the reverse of the carte. Unfortunately, despite carefully examining a number of examples, we have been unable to clearly decipher the signature. A. Chouffly is a rough approximation.
'These cartes-de-visite, nevertheless, are of considerable importance. They not only represent some of the finest ever North African figure studies, but they are remarkably early studies of Moroccan people. The photograph might equally reporesent the work of one of the first resident phoographs in that country. Studios do no seem to have opened until around 1880 in Tangier, though it is possible that Chouffly was attached to a hotel in that city in the 1860's and 1870's. Probably the largest collection of these studies is at the Victoria and Albert Museum.' (Paul Frecker)
A. Chouffly
Portraits
If you have a portrait of this photographer or know of the whereabouts of one we would be most grateful.
alan@luminous-lint.com
Genealogy of A. Chouffly
If you are related to this photographer and interested in tracking down your extended family we can place a note here for you to help. It is free and you would be amazed who gets in touch.
