Back	At the Ottoman Bank Museum ISTANBUL THROUGH THE LENS of the PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE SULTANS Photography historian, Engin Özendes, will be our guest speaker at the Voyvoda Street Istanbul Lectures this month, to discuss Istanbul through some of its pioneer photographers and their work. In her presentation titled "Photographers of Istanbul", Özendes will trace the beginnings and evolution of photography in the Ottoman Empire, and, illustrating her lecture with relevant photographs, offer her audience views of Istanbul as seen through the lens of Ottoman photographers. The lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, December 8, at 6:30 p.m. In the mid-19th century, with the support of Ottoman rulers and of Abdülhamid II in particular, photographers of the Empire found a niche for themselves in Istanbul. Özendes will examine the lives of these early photographers and their depictions of the city, addressing as well the trend of Orientalism which was, at the time, one the main factors drawing these photographers to Istanbul. Engin Özendes was born in Bursa. After graduating from the Commercial High School in Bursa, she studied at the Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences of Sultanahmet, in Istanbul. In 1976, Engin Özendes began researching the history of Turkish photography and has since published articles on the subject in numerous Turkish magazines, encyclopedias and newspapers including, Milliyet Sanat, Hürriyet Gösteri, Cumhuriyet and Yeni Yüzyıl. Özendes, who has served on the jury for a number of photography competitions, has also given several solo exhibitions, including the exhibition titled "Photography in the Ottoman Empire" held in Italy, in 1985. For further information on this free lecture offered by the Ottoman Bank Museum, please contact us at (212) 334 22 70. The Istanbul Lectures aim to provide a fresh look at the city we've lived in for years but perhaps still know so little about...