Jean Pascal Sébah Cairo, 1872 - 1947

Jean Pascal Sébah was the son of Pascal Sébah who had opened a photographic studio in Cairo from the mid-1850s and later another studio in Constantinople from the early 1870s. The Sébah studio had earned a reputation for the foremost Orientalist photography in the region, which were mainly sold to tourists. Following his father's death on 25 June 1886, the studio continued in this business. Initially it was managed by his uncle, Cosmi (i.e. his father's brother), and in 1888 Pollicarpe Joiallier became a partner. At this time the company was renamed Sebah & Joaillier. Jean Pascal Sébah also joined in 1888 and went on to run the studio with other photographers. The firm developed a reputation as the leading representative of Orientalist photography and in 1889 was appointed the Photographers by Appointment to the Prussian Court. In 1893, Sultan Abdulhamid II sponsored fifty-one photographic albums representing the span of the Ottoman Empire with two of the volumes produced by Sebah & Joaillier. U.S. President Grover Cleveland was one of the recipients of the photo collection and it is now in the Library of Congress.