Portrait of a Woman [graphic]

Scope and Contents

- On recto of the print, faded handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "245."

Scope and Contents

- On recto of the print, handwritten signature (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "phtographe . Sevruguin . Téh...."

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, although his family studio continued for some time as a commercial enterprise.