In the creative world of the 19th century, Félix Adrien Bonfils, born on March 8, 1831, blazed his own trail. He was a visionary French photographer and writer who pioneered work in the Middle East. He advanced to become one of the first commercial photographers to depict the Middle East in its immense beauty and complexity on a large scale. Through his pioneering work, Bonfils was able to popularize the use of the newly developed method of color photography in 1880. From his humble beginnings in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort to his later career as a photographer and bookbinder in Alès, Bonfils left a profound impact. He took part in General d'Hautpoul's expedition to the Levant in 1860, organized by France after the massacre of Christians in the civil war between Christians and Druze in Lebanon and Damascus. His encounter with Claude Félix Abel Niépce de Saint upon his return to France ushered in a new era in his life as he learned the heliogravure printing technique and opened a print shop in Alès.
When he married Marie-Lydie Cabanis in 1857 and his family grew, his horizons expanded as well. After his son Adrien fell ill, Bonfils remembered the healing atmosphere of the green hills around Beirut and sent Adrien there, accompanied by his mother, to recuperate. The family finally moved their center of life to Beirut in 1867, where they opened a photography studio called "Maison Bonfils". This period was a crucial turning point in Bonfils' career and laid the foundation for his impressive work in the Middle East. Maison Bonfils, which changed its name to "F. Bonfils et Cie" in 1878, was a hub of creativity. Thousands of photographs of the Middle East were taken here, from portraits to posed scenes to biblical stories. Félix, his wife Lydie and son Adrien worked together on this ambitious project, photographing in Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Greece and Constantinople. It is difficult to determine the individual contributions of each family member, as few of their works are signed. However, it is believed that Lydie was responsible for some of the studio portraits, particularly of the women.
When Félix died in Alès in 1885, the world of photography was in mourning. But the studio he had created lived on, first under the direction of his son Adrien and then his wife Lydie, until her death in 1918, continuing his mission to keep pace with ever-revolutionary advances in photography. Maison Bonfils was one of the first to use the new technique of photochrome, a photographic color printing technique developed in 1880. By the end of the 19th century, Maison Bonfils remained one of the most prolific studios in the Middle East. Félix Bonfils' extensive work and tireless dedication to photography have left us with a unique view of the beauty and diversity of the Middle East. He invited us to see the cities and landscapes of this region through his eyes, and his works remain coveted collector's items for those who appreciate the exotic and the historic. He captured the world through his photographs and laid the foundation for future photographers with his visionary work. His legacy lives on in the fine art prints of his work that we proudly reproduce and offer. Each art print is a testament to Félix Bonfils' tireless commitment to art and his passion for the beauty of the world.
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.jpg "Egyptian Cameleers During a Pause in the Desert by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The courtyard of a Jewish house in Stambouli, Syria, Three domestics are shown near the walls of the building by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Cairo. Avenue of Pyramids by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1712817).jpg "Medinet-Abou. Hypostyle Hall of the Great Temple (Egypt) by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Cairo. Avenue of Pyramids by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_Thebes_-_(MeisterDrucke-1713781).jpg "Central Avenue of the Hypostyle Hall, Taken from the East (Karnak) - Thebes by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Nubia. Temple of Abu Simbel, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Wadi-Tapha by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Adrien")
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.jpg "Cairo - Interior of the El-Bordei Mosque by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Great Pyramid of Cheops by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Roman Forum by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Baalbek - Columns of the Temple of the Sun by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Syria: Gate of the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Camel Drivers")
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![Ptolemaic Propylon and Entrance Gate to the Small Temple [Karnak Thebes] by Félix Bonfils](/kunstwerke/300px/Felix_Bonfils_-_Propylone_ptolemeen_et_porte_dentree_au_petit_temple_Karnak_Thebes_-_(MeisterDrucke-1712666).jpg "Ptolemaic Propylon and Entrance Gate to the Small Temple [Karnak Thebes] by Félix Bonfils")
![Ptolemaic Propylon and Entrance Gate to the Small Temple [Karnak Thebes] by Félix Bonfils](/kunstwerke/400w/Felix_Bonfils_-_Propylone_ptolemeen_et_porte_dentree_au_petit_temple_Karnak_Thebes_-_(MeisterDrucke-1712666).jpg)
.jpg "Six Runners in Cairo by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Egyptian Woman with Donkey by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Syria: Colonnade in the Great Mosque in Damascus by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Garden of Gethsemane by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Mount Quarantine, Palestine by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1713989).jpg "The Jordan by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1715544).jpg "Medinet-Abou. General View of the Small Temple, Detail of the Gate (Egypt) by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Course of the Jordan by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1714606).jpg "Thebes. Colossi of Memnon (Egypt) by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1712635).jpg "Member on the Platform of the Temple (Jerusalem) by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "3rd Courtyard of the Great Temple of Medinet-Abou, or the Columns. Thebes by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Rue du Caire - Toulon Quarter by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Temple of Jupiter Baalbek by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Syrian Muslim Women in Beirut, City Costume by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Album Damas et Baalbek: Syrian Couple in traditional clothes by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Water Carrier in Cairo by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Album Damas et Baalbek: Young Syrian woman in traditional clothes by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Grotto of Beni-Hassan, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Propylaea of the Acropolis in Athens by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Caryatids by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Water Carrier in Cairo by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Interior of a House in Damascus by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Album Damas et Baalbek: A group of indigenous Syrians in traditional clothes by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Temple of Dendur by Félix Bonfils")
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![Temple of Theseus - Athens. [Hephaistion] by Félix Bonfils](/kunstwerke/300px/Felix_Bonfils_-_Temple_de_Thesee_-_Athenes_Hephaistion_-_(MeisterDrucke-1715038).jpg "Temple of Theseus - Athens. [Hephaistion] by Félix Bonfils")
![Temple of Theseus - Athens. [Hephaistion] by Félix Bonfils](/kunstwerke/400w/Felix_Bonfils_-_Temple_de_Thesee_-_Athenes_Hephaistion_-_(MeisterDrucke-1715038).jpg)
.jpg "Egypt. Bas-relief in the 2nd courtyard to the right of the temple of Ramesses by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Pool of Bethesda, Interior by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1588809).jpg "Portico of the Temple of Esneh, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
_-_(MeisterDrucke-1588809).jpg)
_Jerusalem_-_(MeisterDrucke-991694).jpg "A Group of Israelites Praying at the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Caryatids of the Erechtheion Temple - Athens by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Saint Stephen Gate, Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Temple of Theseus on the Acropolis of Athens by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1718367).jpg "Thebes. The Ramesseum (Egypt) by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Album Damas et Baalbek: Syrian Barber by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1312543).jpg "Damascus. Interior of House. English Consul (Syria) by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Album \" Damas et Baalbek \": Mosque of Damascus by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1239362).jpg "Egyptian Mummies by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Panoramic view of the Valley of Cedron or Josafat, with the Tomb of Absalom, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. A man is looking at the view from the street by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Unattached Colonnade before a Temple in Palmyra, Syria by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Golden Gate Exterior: Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Interior of the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Temple of Abu Simbel, Nubia, Egypt, 1878 by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Pyramids and the Sphinx by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Cairo. Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Ablution Fountain, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "View of a Bazaar in Old Cairo by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Ruins of the columns of the Temple of Jupiter, in the archeological zone of Heliopolis or Baalbek, ancient Syrian city, now Lebanon by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Palestine: The Jordan by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Gebel Silsileh, Egypt, 1878 by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Fountain of Ablution in the Mosque of the Sultan Hassan, Cairo, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Karnak. Inclined Column in the Hypostyle Hall, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Village on the Banks of the Nile by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Portrait of a Group of Syrian Bedouins in Humble Ethnic Dress by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Antonia Tower in Jerusalem. Some Men are Resting Near the Walls by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Temple of the Sun by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Cairo. Mosque el-Arhar, Door Details by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Bedouins of Moab by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Sphinx and Pyramids by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Known as the Alabaster Mosque, in Cairo, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1591367).jpg "Great Columns of the Temple of the Sun (Baalbek) by Félix Bonfils")
_-_(MeisterDrucke-1591367).jpg)
![Parthenon, taken from the Propylaea - Athens. [From North - west] by Félix Bonfils](/kunstwerke/300px/Felix_Bonfils_-_Parthenon_pris_des_propylees_-_Athenes_From_North_-_west_-_(MeisterDrucke-1588663).jpg "Parthenon, taken from the Propylaea - Athens. [From North - west] by Félix Bonfils")
![Parthenon, taken from the Propylaea - Athens. [From North - west] by Félix Bonfils](/kunstwerke/400w/Felix_Bonfils_-_Parthenon_pris_des_propylees_-_Athenes_From_North_-_west_-_(MeisterDrucke-1588663).jpg)
.jpg "Cedars of Lebanon by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Sphinx at Giza, c.1870s-80s by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "View of the Tower of the Forty Martyrs, in Israel by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Beirut. View from the American College by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1508287).jpg "The Pyramids of Giza by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Route to Bethlehem, Taken from the Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Group of Druze Sheikhs: Mt. Carmel by Félix Bonfils")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-912238).jpg "The Temple of Bel or Baal Shamin, Palmyra by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Part of the Great Colonnade, Qala")
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.jpg "Minaret of the Bride - Damascus by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Panoramic View of Betania by Félix Bonfils")
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_partie_gauche_(Karnak)_Thebes_-_(MeisterDrucke-1587868).jpg "Ruins of the 3rd Pylon of the Temple (Southeast) Left Part (Karnak) Thebes by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Tomb of the Kings, Inner Courtyard, Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Medinet-Abou - Bas Relief to the Right on the Gate of the Great Temple by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Temple of Kalacheh by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Temple of Erectheion on the Acropolis in Athens by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "The Arch of Hadrian on the Acropolis of Athens by Félix Bonfils")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-9447).jpg "The Jordan by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Interior, Temple of Jupiter, Baalbek by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Interior of the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Mosque ruin, Cairo, Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Bedouin Sheikh of Palmyra by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Man in a Doorway in the Temple of Ramses III in Egypt by Félix Bonfils")
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.jpg "Egyptian Mummies by Félix Bonfils")
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