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Lehnert & Landrock
I always ask myself:
Who is really responsible for all this rubbish which
jam-packs souvenir shops the world over? The
merchants, who try to sell cheap kitsch for making a quick
profit, or rather the customers, that endless queue of
tourists who purchase almost everything as long as it is
as useless as possible or as tasteless as possible or even
better, both ? Also, in Cairo it is not very easy to buy
really unique things as a remembrance or as a gift
for someone else.
For one of my next Shopping Around articles, I plan to
write an extra issue »How to buy special souvenirs in
Egypt« – since it is not only a matter of where, but a
matter of how, too! For this month I would like to release
a special tip in advance.
 Downtown Cairo, in the middle of traffic noise and
dust, there is a nice little romantic bookshop, even if
you enter it by accident you will feel caught up in its
special atmosphere immediately. Books in English, Arabic,
German, Italian, French, lots of cards, maps and, in a
special room, a big number of beautiful historical black
and white photos, probably some of the most fascinating
black and white photos you have ever seen in your life.
The name of the bookshop is Lehnert & Landrock.
The gifted artist and photographer who created these
marvelous photographs is the first of both: Rudolf Franz
Lehnert, born 1878 in Saxony, Germany. In 1903 he
travelled to Tunisia and was instantly attracted by the
irresistible charm of North Africa.
Beginning with his initial visit, Lehnert tried to
capture some of his feelings during this and the following
trips through Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, and
again and again through Tunisia. In 1920 he meets in
Leipzig, Germany with Ernst Heinrich Landrock and together
establish the Orient Art Publishing House. In 1924 they
move to Cairo, together with their families, wives and
children, to open in Egypt’s capital the today still
famous wholesale trade company and bookshop, Lehnert
& Landrock. But Lehnert never grows accustomed to
the big city. In 1930, he leaves all the copyrights of his
art work to Landrock and returns to Tunisia, where he dies
in 1948.
Some years ago, in 1995, a young man entered the
bookshop downtown Cairo. He is Chris Langvet, Canadian
photographer and very keen to contribute to the
restoration of Lehnert’s large old negative plates.
The result, hidden for decades, is impressive. Pristine
desert, fertile oases, old views of the Pyramids, Cairo
street scenes and especially Lehnert’s pictures of
native, traditional Tunisian woman – all of the photos
seem to be unbelievably modern and have that special aura
which usually is characteristic only for precious etchings
and other graphics. Galleries organized exhibitions,
European publishing houses printed luxurious art books
with his work, and finally Lehnert has his place in the
history of photography.
And the best: The bookshop in downtown Cairo sells
original prints of the photos, high quality, plenty of
pictures, all sizes, starting from 10 LE to more than 100
LE, a lot of them framed tastefully in black wood, preserved behind glass. For the framed pieces you
have to pay at least 45 LE, but still, a bargain for a
piece of North African history. You can’t get a better
gift for yourself or others which love historical
pictures, the fascinating representation of the Arabic
world a century ago or who simply love art!
Bookshop Lehnert & Landrock
44, Sherif St.
Cairo / EGYPT
Telephone: 3927606 or 3935324
Fax: 3934421
Working hours: Monday–Friday 10:00 am–2:00 pm,
4:00pm–9:00pm, Saturday only 10:00 am–2:00 pm, Sunday
closed
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