North of Tehran (Iran): Shimiran, Imamzadeh Qasim Shrine

Object Details

Local Numbers: FSA A.4 2.12.GN.14.08
General: Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.

Creator: Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933
Names: Islamic Archives; Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933; Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970
Collection Creator: Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970

See more items in: Myron Bement Smith Collection; Myron Bement Smith Collection / Series 2: The Islamic Archives / 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs / 2.12.01: Glass Plate Negatives / Glass Plate Negatives: Sets 1-61

Biographical / Historical: 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, leaving behind only a fraction of his large collection of glass negatives, which is currently in the Archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Archival Repository: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

Collection Citation: The Myron Bement Smith Collection, FSA A.04. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith.

Arrangement: According to Myron B. Smith handwritten document (Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran), Antoin Sevruguin's 696 glass negatives, at the time of their acquisition, were arranged into 61 boxes without any apparent organization. Today they are housed in archival document boxes, essentially duplicating the original arrangement, and stored on shelves. This glass negative was included into "Box 14."

Collection Rights: Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Bibliography: Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Mustafavi, Asar-I Tarikh-I Tehran: Amakin-I Mutibarraka, Tehran: Anjuman-I Asar-I Milli, 1982, p:228-233

Scope and Contents: "Based on the earliest inscriptions found in the building of Imamzada Qasim, the building is dated to mid 16th century. However, like many other religious structures of Tehran and its surrounding area, it has gone through various stages of restoration, expansion and reconstruction through the years, in particular through the reigns of Faht Ali Shah Qajar and Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, amongst which are the addition of the three iwans of the southern sides. The image depicts the shrine in the background of the image and from the lower grounds of the southeast side. The dome of the shrine is visible in the upper left side of the background of the image, identified by the pattern of its tilework. An unidentified young man is standing in the mid ground of the image, holding a cigarette in hand and seemingly playing with a small dog in front of. His attire suggests that the image was taken in the early Pahlavi era." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]; - FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo manipulation reads, "The sky is reddened all the way down to the tree branches."; - Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 14.8: Gardens." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]