Lazhar Mansouri Algerian, 1932-1985

Biography
View works. Lazhar Mansouri, Untitled, circa 1960s
Untitled, circa 1960s
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"As more and more work comes to light, so do the names of remarkable artists, well known to their contemporaries, now known within a global framework. Lazhar Mansouri (1932-1985) is one."

- Holland Cotter, The New York Times, 2007

Lazhar Mansouri (1932-1985) was an Algerian photographer active from the late 1950s through the 1970s in Aïn Beïda (Aurés Mountains region, Northern Algeria). During this period, he owned and operated a photography studio and created an archive of local everyday people and rarely photographed indigenous tribes.

 

Mansouri first encountered photography as a child while accompanying his grandmother to a local bazaar, where he met a photographer operating a studio in the back of a barber shop. The same photographer later hired him as an apprentice, allowing Mansouri an introduction to the craft. After his training, he left to open his own small studio in the back of a grocery store. Mansouri’s photo studio served thousands of Algerians with their photographic needs from id card photos to documenting family occasions. From the images reflected, Mansouri photographed weddings, births, children, graduations, portraits, friends, and family.

 

The Mansouri studio was highly active during the last years of the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), and after the Provisional Executive of France declared Algeria’s independence on July 5, 1962, Mansouri continued to fulfill the photographic needs of the growing community in Aïn Beïda. During the early 1980s and after Mansouri's death, his family considered the necessity of burning what could be deemed as controversial negatives. Luckily, part of the patrimony was saved by another photographer from the region who saw its historic importance. It is estimated that the archive included at one time ten thousand negative.

​

Lazhar Mansouri's photographs are documented in the archives of the Museum of Modern Art and the Hirsch Library of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. His photographs have recently been included in exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK), Tate Modern (London, UK), and Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn, NY, USA). His work is in numerous public and private collections include the US State Department (Algiers), the Qatar Museums, and more.

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  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men standing wearing suits, man on the right is extending his right arm out and the man on the left is holding it with both hands
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing wearing a floral dress and looking at the camera
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing striped outfit, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing flowered dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing white dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing pearls, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a head covering, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a striped head covering, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • Lazhar Mansouri, Untitled, circa 1960s
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a mantle, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a head covering, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing white dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing flowered dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a head covering, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing white dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a floral dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a scarf, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of three men, two in standing and one sitting
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man standing wearing western attire
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a father with three children, two older and one younger, all in traditional Algerian attire
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man and two women all looking at a newspaper that he is holding
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a black floral dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two women standing in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing a head covering, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, wearing white dress, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white portrait of Amazigh woman with facial tattoos, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man standing in a suit and turban and a woman in a white dress and headwrap
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man and a woman standing wearing a hooded algerian dress
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white family photograph, father, mother, daughter, son, baby held by mother, in tribal garb, in a photo studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of an older man wearing traditional middle eastern attire holding a small child
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of three young girls all wearing plaid dresses
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a young girl wearing a black embroidered dress next to a pedestal with flowers
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a couple standing behind a flower vase in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men standing, one in profile and one facing the camera, in flared pants and suit jackets
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman wearing traditional algerian attire holding the hands of two small boys
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man shirtless and flexing his muscles
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of three young men, one sitting and two standing all wearing different types of striped shirts and flared pants
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man in a leather suit standing in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man standing and gesturing to the left in traditional Algerian attire
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman sitting in a black embroidered dress with her hands folded
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man wearing military attire in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing next to a child and holding his hand
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a young man standing in a suit jacket with a large collar and flared pants
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a couple standing and holding each other, the woman wearing a floral dress and the man a white top and black pants
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of four children in western garb in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a newly married couple, the woman on the left wearing a wedding dress and the man on the right wearing a suit
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four young boys standing in a row from tallest to shortest
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of 5 men in varying attire
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of three boys in traditional algerian attire with white head scarves in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph a woman holding a child in her arms in traditional algerian attire
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men leaning against each other in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a family (mother, father, six children) in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a mother with three children, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two adult men standing in suits with two young boys in front of them, one wearing a police uniform
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 160s black and white photograph of two young women standing facing each other but looking at the camera
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four men in a row holding each other's arms and looking out to the left
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four young men wearing western attire, two men sitting on the floor with their arms wrapped around each other and two men standing
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four men standing in a row but all of different ages, with the leftmost being the oldest and the rightmost the youngest
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white of three men with their arms wrapped around each other, all wearing a white button up shirt tucked into black pants
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman looking out to the left in profile and a man standing and looking directly at the camera
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man and a woman standing with their arms behind them and looking at the camera
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man standing in a suit jacket and black pants wearing a white head scarf
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing in a black embroidered dress with her hair loose
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a couple standing with their arms wrapped around each other in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two women with long hair sitting and looking directly at the camera
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a soldier standing wearing his army uniform while petting a dog to the right of him that is jumping on its legs
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a young couple sitting and kissing while holding hands. The man is in a suit and the woman is wearing a white dress
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four policemen in a row standing
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a muscled shirtless man next to a sketched picture of himself
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men standing holding the Algerian flag
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four men standing holding each other's arms wearing suit jackets and looking out and to the left
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of an older man sitting and holding a gun with a white head wrap on
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four men standing in a row looking out and to the left
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman sitting down and holding two babies in her arms
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing wearing an embroidered dress holding a baby in her arms
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman in an embroidered dress standing up and holding a young boy in her arms
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of an woman standing in a white dress and black cape with a young child in her left arm
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a man wearing a headscarf with a poster, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a man standing holding a gun while wearing sunglasses and a military uniform standing in front of the Algerian flag
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men standing wearing berets and a military khaki uniform in front of the Algerian flag
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a seated man in striped T-shirt holding the hands of a young boy standing, in a photo studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men standing and leaning next to a large stool, wearing a khaki military uniform
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a older woman sitting down in a dress with a headwrap with a young boy to her left holding her hand
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two young boys wearing all white with sunglasses
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a young girl in an embroidered dress standing on a chair
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a child with a guitar, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a young girl wearing an embroidered dress, in a photography studio with artificial flowers
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of two pre-teens in suits, one standing on a chair, one looking at the first one, in a photo studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a young girl wearing an embroidered dress, in a photography studio with artificial flowers
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of young boy wearing a formal suit, hand in his pocket, in a photo studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a young child wearing ethnic Middle-Eastern garb in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four men standing in a row with their bodies facing left but looking at the camera, all wearing suits
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a policeman, a man wearing tribal garb and one man in western garb, standing in a photo studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing in a black embroidered dress with her hair loose and flowing down her shoulders
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing and holding a bouquet of flowers
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing in a white turtleneck and dark pants with her hair in two braids
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a woman standing in a black embroidered dress with her left hand to her chest and a white purse resting on her elbow
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two men standing with a radio on a stepstool in between them
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of three men standing next to each other on a diagonal facing right and holding the person to the right’s left arm
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two women and one young girl, woman on the left is wearing a white embroidered dress and the woman on the right wears a black embroidered dress
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a young child wearing ethnic Middle-Eastern garb in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two young men sitting down with their arms around each other, sitting down and looking to the right wearing black leather jackets
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of two women and one young girl, woman on the left is wearing a white embroidered dress and the woman on the right wears a black embroidered dress
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of a family, mother, father and four children, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black & white photograph of two children in school uniforms, in a photography studio
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of four women in a row looking at the camera
    Untitled, circa 1960s
  • 1960s black and white photograph of a family in a photography studio, a woman, man, a woman holding a small shield, and another child standing in the center
    Untitled, 1960s
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