Orientalism Studies

Photographs of the East as Viewed from the West For westerners, the “East” had always been an imaginary world. In the 19th century political events, economic ties, scientific and archaeological studies, increased accessibility and the already centuries-old interest in Europe, provided fertile ground for the Orientalist fad to take root and blossom. The discovery of the daguerreotype technique, the forerunner of modern photography, provided an ideal new opportunity for the many western photographers wishing to document the fascinating cities of the East.