Great Sphinx of Giza by Félix Bonfils, 1888

Felix Bonfils (1831-1885) was a French photographer who specialised in the Middle East and North Africa. Born in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, France, he trained as a painter before turning to photography in the 1850s. He opened his own studio in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1867 and travelled extensively throughout the region, photographing ancient ruins, landscapes and people. His images were highly regarded for their technical quality and artistic composition, and he won numerous awards for his work. Bonfils' photographs were widely distributed and helped to shape Western perceptions of the Middle East in the late 19th century. He died in Algeria in 1885.