These beautiful color photos of Tunisia in the late-19th century show the vibrant streets, spectacular architecture, and daily life of the Tunisians. It was occupied by the French in 1881 and administered as a protectorate, where the nominal authority of local governments was recognized. The majority of the Tunisian population was European at that time. The French built boulevards, neighborhoods, and infrastructure for the rapid redevelopment of the city, and it became divided into a traditional Arab quarter and a new quarter populated by immigrants. A postcard showing the Cathedral of St. Louis, nearly finished in the background, shows touches of French influence. The French console needed the permission of the Bey of Tunis to begin construction of this Byzantine-Moorish cathedral.
The postcards were created using the photochrom process. The process is exacting, slow, and meticulous, and its results may be breathtaking, perhaps banal, or even dreadful. The skill of the photographer was important, but the success of the color print was more determined by the skill of the artisans who created the intermediates by which photochroms were made.
