Our Notes & References

First edition of this travel narrative by a young Calouste Gulbenkian, later the richest man in the world, recounting his first and only visit to an oil field. A second edition would appear only almost a century later, in 1989.

An excellent example, inscribed on 1 December 1891 by the young Gulbenkian to the old Rüstem Mariani Pasha (1810-95), then the Ottoman ambassador to the UK. Previously an ambassador to Russia in the 1860s, Rustem Pasha was naturally interested in the themes covered by Gulbenkian’s travel account. In 1873-83 Rustem Pasha was a governor of Mount Lebanon before being transferred to his final position in London.

Scarce on the market, with only one copy traced at auction in recent decades.

Calouste Gulbenkian (1869-1955) was an Armenian-British businessman and the first person to exploit Iraqi oil. As the recipient of five per cent of all Middle East oil revenues, he quickly became the richest man on earth — at the time of his death he was worth an estimated $840 million, unadjusted for inflation (Encyclopedia Britannica). An exceptionally skilled negotiator and diplomat who spoke seven languages, Gulbenkian was extremely reclusive and often described as a “spider”. This book is therefore of interest as his first and only publication, providing an unfiltered look at his early life and his first and only trip to an actual oil field.

New discoveries on the Absheron peninsula (the area around Baku) had driven Russian production up tenfold in as many years, reaching 23 million barrels by the time of Gulbenkian’s visit (cf. Conlin). The young Gulbenkian describes the hellish scenes at the oil field, experiencing simultaneously the human cost and the enormous profits to be made — “the surrounding countryside was covered in oil… clouds of flammable vapour spread over the hillside, and all the inhabitants fled in haste… the first day’s production was estimated at 17,000 hectolitres” (p. 240, our translation).

However, Gulbenkian undeniably viewed Azerbaijan as more than simply a site of resource extraction, having included a chapter on textiles and different techniques for weaving carpets. Paying close attention to colour, technology and regional styles, Gulbenkian displayed a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and the early signs of what would in later life become his greatest passion — “the pursuit of great masterpieces” (Conlin). The young man also waxes lyrical about his home city, Constantinople, to which he would never return after the events of the Hamidian Massacre, and gives valuable insights into late Imperial Russia as he travels through Tiflis [Tbilisi], Kutaisi and Batumi.

Gulbenkian spent his final years in Portugal developing a now famous charitable foundation to which he left the majority of his fortune. His vast collection can still be seen in various museums around the globe, particularly in Lisbon, and includes a range of textiles (as well as some very fine Armenian illuminated manuscripts).

Provenance

Rustem Pacha (author’s inscription to half-title verso); small shelf stamp in red ink to upper fly-leaf.

Bibliography

Britannica Editors. “Calouste Gulbenkian.” Encyclopedia Britannica; Conlin, Jonathan. 2019. Mr Five Per Cent: The Many Lives of Calouste Gulbenkian, the World’s Richest Man.,Profile Books.