149. Bosphore. N.[ord] Pècheries.

In complete contrast to the magnificence of the Ottoman centre of Constantinople, here we see the fragile-looking wooden structures of the fishing grounds along the Bosphorus. No earlier photographs survive, and it is hard to imagine many other pioneer photographers bothering to capture such seemingly unimportant subjects on their precious daguerreotype plates. Girault de Prangey made several small format studies along the banks of the Bosphorus, some of which also include the fishing grounds. This is the only one in the archive to focus directly on the picturesque qualities of these rather ephemeral constructions.