Date of use : circa 1920, Egypt
Prince Farouk Street, Port Said with Kodak Posters
The photographic postcard examined here depicts a street scene in Port Said, one of Egypt's most important Mediterranean port cities. The caption printed on the card reads "Port-Said, Prince Faruk Street," indicating that the photograph was taken in one of the central commercial areas of the city. The image presents a wide street lined with two-storey commercial buildings characterized by wooden balconies and arcaded walkways. Pedestrians visible in the scene include local residents, European merchants, and travelers whose clothing reflects the diverse social composition typical of an international port city during the early twentieth century.
Port Said developed rapidly after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Located at the Mediterranean entrance of the canal, the city became a crucial stop along maritime trade routes connecting Europe and Asia. The constant movement of ships, merchants, and passengers transformed Port Said into a cosmopolitan urban center where multiple commercial networks intersected. Such an environment created favorable conditions for the development of photographic commerce and the production of tourist postcards.
One of the most striking elements visible in the photograph is the presence of a shop sign advertising "Kodak Cameras and Films." This signage indicates that photographic equipment was available for sale along the street. The Kodak company was founded in 1888 by George Eastman in the United States and rapidly emerged as one of the most influential manufacturers within the global photographic industry. By the early twentieth century Kodak had established an extensive international distribution network supplying cameras, photographic film, and processing services.
The presence of Kodak products in a port city such as Port Said illustrates the global circulation of photographic technology. Demand for photographic equipment in such locations was largely driven by tourists, maritime travelers, commercial representatives, and military personnel who used cameras to document their journeys. Consequently, shops selling photographic equipment and film materials became common features of commercial districts in major port cities.
Additional shop signs visible in the photograph advertise cigarettes, travel equipment, and other commercial goods. These elements emphasize that Port Said functioned not only as a maritime gateway but also as a retail center serving international travelers. The predominance of English-language signage suggests that the commercial life of the district was oriented toward an international clientele.
Although the card itself may not necessarily have circulated through the postal system, photographic postcards constituted an important form of visual communication during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Such images were widely used both as travel souvenirs and as illustrated messages transmitted through the postal service. As a result, they now serve as valuable visual documents reflecting the urban landscapes and commercial environments of their time.
From a collecting perspective this photographic postcard may be placed within several thematic categories. It represents an example of early urban photography and postcard production. At the same time, it provides visual evidence of the global expansion of the photographic industry through commercial distribution networks. The visibility of the Kodak brand in a Middle Eastern port city demonstrates the worldwide reach of photographic technology and commerce during the early twentieth century.
Viewed within a broader historical framework, the image reveals how photography functioned not only as a technological innovation but also as part of wider systems of international trade and cultural exchange. Port cities such as Port Said became important hubs where photographic equipment was distributed and photographic images were produced for a global audience. The postcard therefore documents not merely a street scene but also the intersection of global commerce, tourism, and photographic culture during the early twentieth century.
Record Information
Title: Prince Farouk Street, Port Said with Kodak Posters
Category: Urban Photography / Photographic Commerce
Subcategory: Travel Photography / International Trade Networks
Country: Egypt
City: Port Said
Date of use: circa 1920 (photographic postcard, unused)
Location: Prince Farouk Street (modern name: Farouk Street), a central commercial thoroughfare in Port Said, Egypt. The area was characterized by two-story buildings with wooden balconies and arcaded walkways, serving as a retail hub for international travelers.
Object Type: Photographic postcard (unused)
Postal Features: No postal markings – produced as a commercial souvenir postcard.
Language: English, Arabic (street signage visible)
Material: Photographic paper postcard
Dimensions: Standard postcard format
Collection Theme: Port Said urban history, Prince Farouk Street, Kodak advertising, Suez Canal commerce, Egyptian photographic trade, travel photography, early 20th century postcards, global photographic distribution, international port cities, commercial signage.
Archival Significance: This circa 1920 photographic postcard visually documents the presence of Kodak photographic commerce in Port Said, Egypt, illustrating how global photographic distribution networks reached strategic port cities along the Suez Canal, serving an international clientele of travelers, merchants, and maritime personnel during the early twentieth century.
Research Note:
This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.
This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
