Gabriel Veyre in Morocco

Gabriel Veyre was born in France in 1871 and was an early filmmaker and photographer. Veyre travelled to the Americas and to Japan and China where he created many films and photographs, some of these were shown in 1900 in an exposition in Paris.

In 1901 Veyre travelled to Morocco where he was contracted to teach the new technology of photography to Moulay Abdel Aziz the young Sultan of Morocco and son of Moulay Hassan I.

Veyre loved Morocco , upon reaching Marrakech he was impressed by both the palace of the Sultan and the son of the Sultan. He found himself not only a teacher, but also the friend and confidant of the elegant and bright young student.

Veyre recorded important cultural events, his pictoral and literary account of the Sultansbears testimony to Veyre’s historical significance.

Veyre found Moulay Abdel Aziz to be passionate about new technologies, and together they studied photography and cinematography as well as introducing bicycles, cars, telephones and electricity to Morocco.

In 1905 Veyre published ‘Au Maroc dans l’intimite du Sultan’ his candid and factual account of his travels in Morocco, in contrast to other early writings his was not written from hearsay or indirect testimonies. It was the heartfelt and genuine record of one mans love for Morocco and those he met there.

Veyre lived in Morocco until his death in 1936. He made many wonderful photographic portraits, and engaged in other projects including an experimental farm, a dealer for the Ford Motor company,  founder of the Automobile Club of Morocco, and the first radio broadcaster in Morocco.

Riad Star is just a stones throw from the maison de la photographie Marrakech, a wonderful place to see the history of this great country recorded and celebrated.  Join us at Riad Star to immerse yourself in the rich and vibrant history of Marrakech.