James Roberston (1813 - 1888) O Dimitrios Konstantinou Biography
In 1853, James Robertson, was an English photographer and engraver. He opens a studio in Constantinople, in the historic district of the city. Together with Felice Beato he documents the mosques, fountains and other places of important architectural value in the area. Robertson began selling photographs of the city, which appeared in a well-received volume entitled “Photographic Views of Constantinople”. The images, available for purchase as single prints or in albums, also served as the basis for engravings in publications such as Illustrated London News. Thanks to photographers like Robertson, a wide distribution of Middle Eastern images became available to Western audiences.
Dimitris Konstantinou, one of the first Greek photographers, also collaborated with him. Dimitris's involvement with photography began in 1854, when he assisted James Robertson and Felice Beato during their visit to Greece. Konstantinou opened his own studio in 1858, specializing in photographs of ancient monuments for the tourism sector, and was the first photographer to work with the Greek Archaeological Society. He participated in various international exhibitions, receiving a silver medal at the first Olympia exhibition in 1859 and a bronze medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867. Konstantinou signed his works with various Latinized forms of his name, including D . Constantin, D. Constantin, and D. Constantine, as well as Demetre Constantin and Demetre Constantinidis.
