James Robertson of Constantinople; a chronology

Abstract James Robertson, the nineteenth century photographer best known for his work in Constantinople and during the Crimean War, remains an exasperatingly elusive quarry for researchers. The beginning and end of his life are still lost in the shadows, but by now it is possible to chart in some detail the decade, roughly 1850 to 1860, in which he is known to have been active and ambitious as a photographer. Robertson is always coupled with Fenton, and it is interesting to note that the photographic careers of both men spanned very much the same period of time.