Visions of Cambodia by....Jules Agostini

by Jules Agostini

Cambodia in the 1890s, as seen by colonial engineer and amateur photographer Jules Agostini.

Agostini cambodge palais royal 1894

Published: 1893

Author: Jules Agostini

Source: www.gallica.bnf.fr

Jules Agostini (18591930) was focusing more on the daily life of local people, and on social events involving personalities from the colonial administration.

In 2015, a rare photo of famous painter Paul Gauguin and some of his Tahitian female models was discovered in his personal archives. The traveler had stayed at the painter’s house in Moorea with another photographer, Henri Lemasson.

We are publishing here the 74-page collection À travers le Cambodge 1893 – 1894: Vues photographiques, ndnl.

agostini-palais-du-roi-1893
Entrance of King’s Palace, 1893, by Jules Agostini. The Suez Pavilion’ is much visible on the left side.

Sources: gal​li​ca​.bnf​.fr , Kampot La Prospere, AEFEK

Tags: 1890s, Cambodia daily life, photography, daily life, Phnom Penh Royal Palace

About the Photographer

Julesagostini3

Jules Agostini

Colonial engineer and amateur photographer Jules Agostini (1859, Arbarella, Corsica ‑1930, Nice, France) has traveled extensively in the Far East, including Cambodia.

His fame as a photographer came to the headlines when unknown photos of French painter Paul Gaugin and some of his Tahitian models were discovered in one of his photo-albums in 2015. Agostini had stayed at Gauguin’s house in Tahiti with another photographer, Henri Lemasson. He lived eight years in Oceania, mainly in New Caledonia. 

In Cambodia during the years 1893 – 1894, Agostini was working as conducteur des ponts et chaussées” (chief civil engineer, director of public works).