Photographer: Leroux, Alexandre.
Title: Ouled-Nahil 1235.
Date: circa 1880-1890.
Medium: collotype photographeprint mounted on original paper.
Size: 24,7 x 18,5 cm.
Condition: very good.
Reference: ALV0208-1.
Provenance: French collection.
Extra:  numbered in the negative. 
A female member of the Ouled Naïl tribe, a Berber community living primarily in the Atlas and Saharan regions of Algeria. These women were known for their unique social roles, distinctive clothing style, and rich cultural traditions.
The women of the Ouled Naïl wore striking traditional garments, including a melehfa, a long robe fastened with silver fibulae (brooches). They adorned their hair with jewelry and decorated their hands and feet with henna. A signature feature was their elaborate coiffure, often embellished with coins or other ornaments.
The Nailiyat (plural of Nailiya) were women who settled in cities like Bou Saâda and Biskra during the winter months, where they earned an income by performing belly dances and working as hostesses. This practice was often passed down through generations within families. The women formed close-knit communities, supported by mothers, aunts, and grandmothers who supervised and handled domestic tasks while the younger women performed and entertained.
Unlike many other societies in the region, the women of the Ouled Naïl enjoyed a certain degree of social freedom. They could earn their own income, form relationships outside of marriage, and had a measure of autonomy within their communities. However, this lifestyle was frequently misunderstood and romanticized by colonial and Western observers, who often portrayed the women as exotic or even immoral figures.
Photographers such as Leroux and Lehnert & Landrock documented the lives of the Ouled Naïl, contributing to the iconic visual representation of the women in traditional attire. These images were widely circulated in colonial postcards and publications, further fueling the exoticization of the community.
Born in Béziers in 1836, Leroux produced numerous photographs of Algeria, including military operations. He purchased his first studio in 1876 from Claude-Joseph Portier. He later settled at 14 Bab-Azoun Street and opened a branch on Place Bresson. His prints were numbered and signed. Leroux died in Algiers in 1912, in his studio then located at 26 Bab-Azoun Street. He documented key events such as the antisemitic riots of 1898 and the funeral of Cardinal Lavigerie. He became known for his many photographs of Algiers, Biskra and its oasis, as well as for his portraits of typical figures from everyday life in Algiers. He also captured the “pacification” of Kabylia in 1895 (including portraits of rebel leaders) and the establishment of schools in the region.
Alexandre Leroux is known for having used phototypy as the reproduction process for his photographs—a photo-mechanical technique that allowed for more affordable distribution and commercialization at the time, without compromising on quality. Indeed, more than 100 years after its production, this print still displays an image that has retained all its strengths.
The phototype—also known as collotype—is especially recognizable by its reticulated areas, which become visible when viewed up close.