This photogravure vintage postcard features a culturally evocative scene: a woman seated indoors near a barred window, partially draped in cloth and adorned with large hoop earrings and a headscarf. She gazes toward a young boy outside the window, who peers in with curiosity. The boy wears traditional attire and a cap, adding to the ethnographic charm of the composition. The room is softly lit, with a curtain drawn to the side, enhancing the intimate and contemplative mood. This postcard, entitled “A Curious Boy” was published by the celebrated ethnographic photography firm, Lehnert & Landrock as part of a series (No.223). The company was located in Cairo Egypt. Rudolf Franz Lehnert (1878-1948) & Ernst Heinrich Landrock (1878-1966) were the principals of the firm. Lehnert was of German origin, while Landrock was from Bohemia. The pair met in Switzerland and decided to go into business together. Lehnert was the photographer and Landrock was the administrator. Landrock organized trips, managed the photo studio and photo production, and marketed the photographs and prints. They were photographers in Tunis and in Egypt, They also opened studios in Munich (Germany) and Leipzig (Germany). They produced many photographs from Egypt and Tunisia. Their first studio was in Tunis. They photographed monuments and sites in those countries, but were most known for their erotic images of Arab women, often posing in harem themes. Sometimes the photographers seemed more concerned about producing erotic photographs rather than documenting everyday life in these Middle Eastern countries. Lehnert and Landrock were well acclaimed for their work and the duo have images in a number of museums, including Philadelphia’s Penn Museum an the Musee de l’elysee in Lausanne, Switzerland. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
Leave a comment