Antione Sevruguin
1880-1900
Portrait of Haj Ismail Yazdi

Glass negative
12.8 x 17.9 cm
 
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
Myron Bement Smith Collection: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs. Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith, 1973-1985, Local number: FSA A.4 2.12.GN.20.04
 
Title and Summary notes are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg research specialist.
 
Antoin Sevruguin is one of the early pioneers of commercial photography in Iran. He arrived in Iran from Tbilisi, Georgia in the mid 1870s to set up shop in Ala al-Dawla street in Tehran. From the early days, Sevruguin's studio was trusted both by the Qajar court and by foreign visitors to Iran. Highly regarded for their artistic ingenuity outside Iran, Sevruguin's photographs of 'ethnic types,' architecture and landscape, and depictions of daily life of Tehran found their way into foreign travelogues, magazines and books. As such, he stands alone in a relatively large group of early Iranian photographers for being recognized and celebrated outside the boundaries of the country. Antoin Sevruguin passed away in 1933, although his family studio continued for some time as a commercial enterprise.
 
"Iraj Afshar records the name of the figure, noting that - contrary to previous explanation - Haj Ismail was ridiculed for his obesity and not being 'the middle sex." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
 
LL/58579