20 Amazing Vintage Photos of Istanbul, Turkey From the Late 19th Century

Swedish photographer Guillaume Berggren acquires the techniques of photography in Berlin and holds different jobs in various European cities before arriving in Istanbul. Initially en route to Marseille, he disembarks from his ship in 1866 and settles in Istanbul, where he is to spend the rest of his life.

In 1870, he opens a studio at 414, Grand Rue de Péra (present-day Istiklal Caddesi). He sends for his niece Hilda Ullin, who arrives from Sweden in 1883 to asist him. Prior to his monetary problems Berggren works intensely until 1900 and documents the recent developments in the modernizing Ottoman Empire, the shores of the Bosphorus, the streets of the city and its peoples through captivating compositions revealing his technical skills.

To sustain himself for some time, he takes portraits, photographs of tourists and sells clichés to magazine. In 1914, he is forced to disperse his archieve for financial reasons and eventually dies in poverty at the age of 85.

(Photos by Guillaume Berggren)