Photoflash and the accidental nature of memorabilia
The knowledge of history can change your understanding of things in a surprising way. Looking through my father's things, I saw that he and my grand parents, had a great number of photographs taken by the beach or in public gardens. Seeing things through my 21st century lens, I assumed that they owned a camera and that they took it with them to commemorate their different outings.
However, when I showed the photos in question to the father of a childhood friend who is a photographer and an expert in the history of Egyptian photography studios, he gave me a piece of information that absolutely changed my perception. He turned the pictures over and showed me, on the back, that photography studios had either stamped or embossed their names on the photo and sometimes used the term "Photo Flash" or "Photo Store".
I always assumed that that was just the place where the photos were developped. But I was absoluteley mistaken. These photos were taken based on a practice which consisted in photography studios sending out photographers to beaches and parks and they would then offer to take pictures of the attendees and give them a serial number.
Then, you would go with that serial number to the photo studio and if you liked the picture, you could buy it. This practice was called "Photo Flash".
This piece of information made me realize that for most of the pictures in my boxes and boxes of old family photos, their occurence was not deliberate. These memories wouldn't be documented today had photography studios not put this business model in place. I would not be looking at these photos nearly 90 years later for the pictures takes in the 1930's. This also explains the quality of the photos in question, their luminescent stillness. These accidental memories are of course, also a testimony to the diversity of these older times in Egypt, the names of the studios show a mix of British, Armenian, Greek and Egyptian photographers.
Stanley Beach Front
My paternal grandmother in 1934 on Stanley beach Alexandria, this photo was taken by a "photo flash" photographer belonging to what seemingly appears to be an English studio called the Bulkeley Photo Store. Notice that she is wearing strappy beach shoes.
The back of the photo showing the Bulkeley Photo Store stamp. My grandmother used to write the place and date of photos on the back. I never met her but I now recognize her handwriting.
Stanley Beach Front
A Bulkeley photo store picture in Stanley beach Alexandria from 1934 showing my paternal grandparents at the forefront.
