State visit to Jerusalem of Wilhelm II of Germany in 1898. Turkish military brass band in procession to German camp, American Colony of Jerusalem Photo Department, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
What can a photograph tell us about what the past sounded like? As it turns out, quite a lot. Michael Talbot, University of Greenwich, will explore the visual record of the band of the Ottoman military garrison in Jerusalem at the turn of the 20th century.
While official narratives in the press in Palestine praised the band as providing the patriotic soundtrack to state celebrations, photographs of them in action - and the reactions of their audiences - tell a rather different story. Zooming in on the details hidden in these wonderful photographs, we can move beyond the formal portraits and gushing prose of the propaganda of the state and think about what it might have been like to be in the crowd for formal state celebrations. Using a mix of photographs, newspapers, and musical recordings from over a century ago, the story of the Ottoman military band of Jerusalem allows us to see the history of that city and its populace in the late Ottoman period from a new angle.
Palestine Exploration Fund Free Lecture Series, jointly with ASTENE and in Association with the British Museum Dept. of the Middle East
State visit to Jerusalem of Wilhelm II of Germany in 1898. Turkish military brass band in procession to German camp, American Colony of Jerusalem Photo Department, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
Issue 67, December 2024
Beauty in the Wilderness
The London Academy of Ottoman Court Music, with Emre Aracı. Produced by Ates Orga,
Prague Symphony Orchestra, directed by Emre Aracı, produced by Ateş Orga
The London Academy of Ottoman Court Music, with Emre Araci
The Prague Symphony Chamber Orchestra with Cihat Askin, violin. Directed by Emre Araci and produced by Ateş Orga
