Tehran (Iran): Kakh-i Gulistan (Gulistan Palace Complex), Imarat-i Badgir (Wind-catcher Building)

Object Details

Local Numbers: FSA A.4 2.12.GN.29.11
General: Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.

Creator: Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933
Names: Islamic Archives; Kākh-i Gulistān (Tehran, Iran); Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933; Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970
Collection Creator: Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970

Topic: Architecture; Palaces; Qajar dynasty, -- Iran, -- 1794-1925; Royalty (Nobility)

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 29."

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

Existence and Location of Copies: Gelatin silver print numbered FSA A.4 2.12.Sm.43; available in Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs; Albumen print numbered FSA A2011.03 B.18; available in Stephen Arpee Collection of Sevruguin Photographs.; Albumen print numbered FSA A2011.03 A.13a; available in Stephen Arpee Collection of Sevruguin Photographs.

Scope and Contents: "The villa was built on the south side the Gulistan Palace complex on the orders of Fath Ali Shah Qajar. Later on and on the orders of Nasir al-Din Shah extensive renovations were carried out on the site and the renovations continued later in the early Pahlavi era as well. The building is currently undergoing fresh rounds of renovations. The photo depicts the structure from the far end of the front pool, carefully framing the structure in the centre of the image. The complete symmetry of the plans allows for such symmetry in the image." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]; - Handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "253."; - Scratched handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1145."; - Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 29.11: (P) [black-and-white print on hand]. Tehran. Tehran. Locante (?) (Gulestan?) (# 253)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]