The Tzar's Photographer

Here is a brilliant link that I was sent quite a long time ago. Seeing as I have been through Russia, I thought that I would share it here.

The Empire That Was Russia

It is of a collection of Tzar Nicolas II official photographer, Prokudin-Gorskii, who had a free pass to travel the Russian empire and photographically record it before world War I. The amazing thing about these photos is that they are all in colour, 40 years before colour film was invented. He did it by using three plates, one for Red, Green and Blue.

Below are some of my favourite shots.


Russian Settlers in the Borderlands


Portrait of Pinkhus Karlinsky, 84 Years Old - he would be 180 if alive today


Fabric merchant in Samarkand