Karimeh Abbud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karimeh Abbud
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| Born | 18 November 1893 |
| Died | 27 April 1940 (aged 46) |
| Nationality | Ottoman, Mandate Palestine |
| Education | American University of Beirut, Greater Lebanon |
| Occupation | Photographer |
Karimeh Abbud (born November 18, 1893 – died April 27, 1940) was a talented Palestinian photographer and artist. She lived and worked in Palestine during the early 1900s. Karimeh was one of the very first women photographers in the entire Arab World.
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About Karimeh Abbud
Karimeh Abbud was born in Bethlehem. Her father, Said Abbud, was a teacher there. Her family had moved to Palestine from Khiam, a place in South Lebanon. Later, her father became a pastor (a leader in a Christian church) for the Lutheran church. He served there for 50 years.
Karimeh was the second of six children in her family. She went to "Talitha Koumi" school for her early education. Her mother, Barbara Badr, was also a teacher.
Karimeh became interested in photography in 1913. This happened after her father gave her a camera for her 17th birthday. Her first pictures were of her family, friends, and the beautiful places in Bethlehem. Her first photo with her signature on it is from October 1919.
She later studied Arabic literature at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. During her studies, she visited Baalbek to take photos of its ancient sites.
In 1929, Karimeh married a merchant from Marjayoun. They had one son named Samir.
Her Photography Work
Karimeh Abbud set up a photography studio in her home. She earned money by taking pictures of women, children, weddings, and other special events. She also took many photos of public places in cities like Haifa, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Tiberias.
By the 1930s, she was a professional photographer in Nazareth. Her grandfather had been a senior pharmacist at the Nazareth English Hospital. Her father had also worked there as a pastor. When another local photographer moved away, Karimeh's studio became very popular. People especially wanted her for weddings and portraits.
The photos she took during this time had a special stamp. It said in Arabic and English: "Karimeh Abbud - Lady Photographer". In the mid-1930s, she started offering hand-painted copies of her studio photos. In 1924, she proudly called herself the "only national photographer."
Finding and Showing Her Photos
Many of Karimeh's original photos have been collected. Ahmed Mrowat, who leads the Nazareth Archives Project, has gathered many of them.
In 2006, an Israeli antiquities collector named Bouky Boaz made an amazing discovery. He found over 400 of Abbud's original photos in an old house in Jerusalem. The house had been left empty by its owners in 1948. Many of these photos were signed by Karimeh herself.
An exhibition (a public show) of her photographs has opened at the Museum of Islamic and Near Eastern Cultures in Be'er Sheva. This exhibition shows how tourism to Palestine was promoted. It includes souvenirs like postcards, maps, spices, books, and dried flowers.
A Special Tribute
On November 18, 2016, Google honored Karimeh Abbud with a special Doodle. This was to celebrate her 123rd birthday. The Google Doodle was seen in all the countries of the Arab World.
See also
- Khalil Raad
Documentary films
- Mahasen Nasser-Eldin: Restored Pictures. A documentary film (22 minutes), from the Palestinian Territories in 2012. (It's in Arabic with English subtitles).
- Issam Ballan: Karimeh Abbud: The first Palestinian female photographer. A documentary film (11 minutes), from the Palestinian Territories in 2016. (It's in Arabic).
