Object Details
- Local Numbers
- FSA A.4 2.12.GN.35.03
- 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
- Place
- Asia
- Iran
- Ray (Iran)
- Topic
- Early Photography of Iran
- Topic
- Qajar dynasty, -- Iran, -- 1794-1925
- Relief (Sculpture)
- Creator
- Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933
- 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.
- Extent
- 1 Glass negative (b&w, 24 cm. x 17.9 cm.)
- Date
- 1880-1930
- Archival Repository
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
- Identifier
- FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.35.03
- Type
- Archival materials
- Glass negatives
- 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 35."
- Collection Rights
- Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
- Bibliography
- J. P. Luft, The Qajar Rock Reliefs, Iranian Studies, Vol. 34, No. 1/4, p:33
- Genre/Form
- Glass negatives
- Scope and Contents
- "The image is of a rock relief of Qajar period on route from Tehran to Chishma Ali, one of the Qajar kings' favorite camping spots. The relief echoes the Sassanian tradition of depicting their kings in the rock relief. The relief includes two sets of inscriptions: a qasida by Andalib and verses by the head of the chancellery, Mirza Muhammad Taqi Aliabadi (Sahib-i Divan). The relief was ordered in 1830-1831, probably by Fath Ali Shah and it depicts Fath Ali Shah, seating on what appears to be the peacock throne, surrounded by sixteen of his sons, the name of each of which is inscribed beside the carved heads. Fath Ali Shah Qajar was the second king of Qajar dynasty in Iran that rulled the country for around 37 years (1797-1834). He was born to Aqa Mohammad Khan Qajar's brother and since Aqa mohammad Khan did not have a child, Fath Ali shah assumed the position of the king upon his death. There is another image of the same relief - from a different angle and showing a bit more detail - in the archives (Neg.0.11). Unlike the other one, however, this image depicts a group of local and non-local visitors to the site. The three men on the left side of the image seem to be foreign travellers, most probably accompanied by a translator - standing on the far left - and a group of local guides/attendants." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- - FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo condition reads, "The glass negative is broken with portions of the glass missing."
- - Scratched handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1333."
- - Faded handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) not readable.
- - Handwritten information on slip of paper (from a 1943-1944 cash book, produced by the Bathni Brothers, Tehran) reads, "Chashmiyi Ali at Shah Abdul Azim." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information]
- - Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 35.3: Unknown, cracked." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
- Collection Restrictions
- Collection is open for research.
- Record ID
- ebl-1585218933221-1585218933926-1
