Felix Bonfils

Originally from France, Felix Bonfils moved with his family to Beirut, Lebanon, in 1867 to establish a commercial photographic studio there. The Bonfils family later opened additional studios throughout Western Asia and North Africa, primarily photographing archaeological sites and architectural views for Western European audiences. Because these images often focused on ruins rather than modern structures, many Europeans developed an incomplete view of contemporary life across these regions. This fueled attitudes of cultural superiority and a false sense these places and their inhabitants were stuck in the past.