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Myron Bement Smith Collection

Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Names:
Aga-Oglu, Mehmet, 1896-1949  Search this
Ettinghausen, Richard  Search this
Field, Henry  Search this
Herzfeld, Ernst, 1879-1948  Search this
Kuban, Dogan  Search this
Moe, Henry Allen  Search this
Pope, Arthur Upham, 1881-1969  Search this
Former owner:
Blake, Marion Elizabeth  Search this
Extent:
192 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1910-1970
Summary:
The Myron Bement Smith collection consists of two parts, the papers of Myron Bement Smith and his wife Katharine and the Islamic Archives. It contains substantial material about his field research in Italy in the 1920s and his years working on Islamic architecture in Iran in the 1930s. Letters describe the milieu in which he operated in Rochester NY and New York City in the 1920s and early 1930s; the Smiths' life in Iran from 1933 to 1937; and the extensive network of academic and social contacts that Myron and Katharine developed and maintained over his lifetime. The Islamic Archives was a project to which Smith devoted most of his professional life. It includes both original materials, such as his photographs and notes, and items acquired by him from other scholars or experts on Islamic art and architecture. Smith intended the Archives to serve as a resource for scholars interested in the architecture and art of the entire Islamic world although he also included some materials about non-Islamic architecture.
Scope and Contents:
The Myron Bement Smith Collection consists of two parts, the papers of Myron Bement Smith and his wife Katharine and the Islamic Archives. The papers include some biographic material about Myron but little about his wife. Information on his academic and professional experience is sketchy and his diaries and appointment books often contain only sporadic entries. The papers contain substantial material about his field research in Italy in the 1920s and his years working on Islamic architecture in Iran in the 1930s. Correspondence comprises the largest and most potentially useful part of the papers. Letters describe the milieu in which he operated in Rochester, NY and New York City in the 1920s and early 1930s; the Smiths' life in Iran from 1933 to 1937; and the extensive network of academic and social contacts that Myron and Katharine developed and maintained over his lifetime.

The Islamic Archives, formally entitled The Archive for Islamic Culture and Art, was a project to which Smith devoted most of his professional life. It includes both original materials, such as his photographs and notes, and items acquired by him from other scholars or experts on Islamic art and architecture. Most of the latter consists of photographs and slides. Smith intended the Archives to serve as a resource for scholars interested in the architecture and art of the entire Islamic world although he also included some materials about non-Islamic architecture. The core collection of the Archives consists of Smith's original photographs and architectural sketches of Iranian Islamic monuments made during his field research in the 1930s. He meticulously photographed the interior and exterior of monuments, including their decorative detail. Some of the photographic materials subsequently loaned, purchased, or donated to the Archives may enable scholars to document sites over time but in many cases the materials are poorly preserved or reproduced. A notable exception to this is the glassplate negatives and prints of 19th century Iranian photographer Antoin Sevruguin.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 2 major series with further subseries. A third series inventories the outsized and miscellaneous materials.

Series 1: Papers

Subseries 1.1: Biographic Materials

Subseries 1.2: Professional Experience

Subseries 1.3: Notebooks, Journals and Appointment Books

Subseries 1.4: Correspondence

Subseries 1.5: Published and Unpublished Materials

Subseries 1.6: Italy Research 1925, 1927-1928

Subseries 1.7: Iran Research 1933-1937

Subseries 1.8: Katharine Dennis Smith Papers and Correspondence

Series 2: The Islamic Archives

Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information

Subseries 2.2: Resource Materials Iran

Subseries 2.3: Resource Materials Other Islamic World and General

Subseries 2.4: Myron Bement Smith Architectural Sketches, Plans and Notes, Iran, 1933-1937

Subseries 2.5: Myron Bement Smith Iran Photographs, Notebooks and Negative Registers

Subseries 2.6: Country Photograph File

Subseries 2.7: Lantern Slide Collection

Subseries 2.8: Myron Bement Smith 35 mm Color Slides

Subseries 2.9: Country 35 mm Color Slide File

Subseries 2.10: Myron Bement Smith Negatives

Subseries 2.11: Country Photograph Negatives

Subseries 2.12: Antoin Sevruguin Photographs

Series 3: Outsize and Miscellaneous Items

Subseries 3.1: Map Case Drawers

Subseries 3.2: Rolled Items

Subseries 3.3 Items in Freezer

Subseries 3.4 Smithsonian Copy Negatives
Biographical Note:
Myron Bement Smith was born in Newark Valley, New York in 1897 and grew up in Rochester, New York. He died in Washington D.C. in 1970. He showed an early interest in drawing, and after graduation from high school, he worked as a draftsman for a Rochester architect. He served in the US Army Medical Corps in France during World War I and on return again worked as an architectural draftsman. He studied at Yale University from 1922 to 1926, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. During summer vacations, he worked as draftsman or designer for architectural firms in New York City. After graduation, he received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grant and spent two years in Italy doing research on northern Italian brick and stone work. He used photography as an tool for his research and published several well-illustrated articles. On return he joined an architectural firm in Philadelphia and in 1931 became a registered architect in New York. He enrolled in Harvard University graduate school in 1929 pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree.

In April 1930, Smith was appointed Secretary of the newly created American Institute for Persian Art and Archaeology founded by Arthur Upham Pope and located in New York City. He had no prior academic or work experience in Islamic art or architecture, and his job entailed designing publications, arranging lectures, organizing exhibitions and fund raising. That summer he arranged an independent study course at Harvard University on Persian art and subsequently studied Persian language at Columbia University and attended graduate courses at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. His work and academic credentials enabled him to compete successfully for a research fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies in 1933 to study Iranian Islamic architecture.

Accompanied by his new bride Katharine Dennis, Smith left for Iran in 1933. They suffered a horrendous motor vehicle accident in Iraq en route and required a lengthy recuperation in Lebanon and Cyprus. The Smiths eventually arrived in Isfahan, Iran, where they established their "Expedition House," as Smith called it, in a rented faculty house at Stuart College. Smith's research consisted of meticulous photographic documentation of Islamic monuments and architectural sketches and drawings of many of them. He concentrated on the Isfahan area but also documented monuments elsewhere in Iran. Smith outfitted his station wagon as a combination camper and research vehicle in which he and his staff traveled widely. Katharine sometimes traveled with him but generally she remained in Isfahan managing the household and logistics for the "expedition." The Smiths left Iran in 1937.

Smith published several articles about Iran's Islamic monuments based on his field research and in 1947 completed his PhD thesis for The Johns Hopkins University on the vault in Persian architecture. His professional career from 1938 until his death in 1970 consisted of a series of temporary academic positions, contract work and government or academic sponsored lecture tours and photographic exhibits. He had a long lasting relationship with the Library of Congress where he served as an Honorary Consultant from 1938 to 1940 and again from 1948 to 1970; from 1943 to 1944 he was Chief of the Iranian Section at the Library. Despite his lack of published material, Smith was well-known among academic, government and private citizens who worked, traveled or were otherwise interested Iran and the Islamic world.

Smith developed an extensive network of professional and social contacts that dated from his early student days and increased markedly during his time at the Persian Institute and later in Iran. He kept in touch with them and they touted him to others who were interested in Iran or Islamic art and architecture. This network served him well in realizing his ambition of creating a resource for scholars that relied on photographs to document Islamic architecture. The Islamic Archives began with his own collection of photographs from his Iran research and grew to include all manner of photographic and other materials not only on the Islamic world but also other areas. Creating and managing the Archives became the main focus of Smith's professional life and career. In 1967 he received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to revise his PhD thesis as a publishable manuscript but died before he could complete it.
Related Materials:
The Antoin Sevruguin Photgraphs

Ernst Herzfeld Papers

Lionel B. Bier Drawings

Lionel D. Bier and Carol Bier Photographs
Provenance:
Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith, transfered from National Anthropological Archives.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Islamic architecture  Search this
Islamic Architecture-Turkey  Search this
Iran-description and travel  Search this
Iran-History 20th Century  Search this
Islamic Architecture-Middle East  Search this
Iran-social life and customs  Search this
United States-Social life and customs  Search this
Mosques  Search this
Architecture -- Iran  Search this
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04
See more items in:
Myron Bement Smith Collection
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3c8c950fe-250b-40df-b8c7-bcf788073968
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-fsa-a-04
Online Media:

Isfahan (Iran): Ayina-khana (Hall of Mirrors)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Iṣfahān (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The photo is of an etching, depicting the Ayina-Khana palace in Isfahan. The palace was built by Shah Safi (Safavid) or Shah Abbas II in the 17th century to resemble Chihil Sutun. It was destroyed in 1891 by orders from the Qajar ruler of the city: Zil al-Sultan. Mas'ud Mirza or Zil al-Sultan was Nasir Al-Din Shah's oldest son and the governor of Isfahan for about thirty years. There are photographs of the same building in Sevruguin's archives. The photo is from a lithograph published in Voyage en Perse de 'MM. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de M. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de M. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41'." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.1: Iran. Photograph of etching: Isfahan - Chihil Sutun - g.v." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.01
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Palaces  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.01
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3c28c827d-3131-4dc5-8dac-c52f4076a30c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10051

Isfahan (Iran): Masjid-i Shah (Royal Mosque)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Iṣfahān (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The photo is from a lithograph depicting Masjid-i Shah (Shah Mosque) in Isfahan's Naqsh-i Jahan square. The view of the maydan and the mosque are reversed in the lithograph. The mosque should be flanked by the Ali Qapu entrance/palace to its left and Shaykh Lutf Allah mosque to its right. The lithograph was published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.2: Iran. Photograph of etching: Isfahan - maidan-i Shah and masjid-i Shah." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.02
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Palaces  Search this
Religious buildings  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.02
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3ec0d42f4-cf07-4b40-8353-70bf096b24d0
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10052

Isfahan (Iran): Madrasa-i Shah Hussayn (Madrasah-i Madar-i Shah)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Iṣfahān (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The photo is from a lithograph depicting Masjid-i Shah (Shah Mosque)'s entrance arch from inside its courtyard. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time.The photo is from the lithograph published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.3: Iran. Photograph of etching: Isfahan - masjid-i Shah. Portal." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.03
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Religious buildings  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.03
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc38654a083-a079-48c0-a382-2f157b14f155
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10053

Tehran (Iran): Kakh-i Gulistan (Gulistan Palace): Patio and Veranda of Takht-i Marmar (Marble Throne)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Kākh-i Gulistān (Tehran, Iran)  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The lithograph depicts the front courtyard of Gulistan palace and Takht-i Marmar on the balcony from the left side of the building. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time. The photo is from the lithograph published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.4: Iran. Photograph of etching: ? - Palace. Similar to Shrine of Fatimeh at Kum." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.04
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Palaces  Search this
Thrones  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.04
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3c6664401-64a6-434a-bfb7-8f0ae40a905a
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10054

Tehran (Iran): Kakh-i Gulistan (Gulistan Palace): Patio and Veranda of Takht-i Marmar (Marble Throne)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Kākh-i Gulistān (Tehran, Iran)  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The lithograph depicts the front courtyard of Gulistan palace and Takht-i Marmar on the balcony from the right side of the building. The lithograph was published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.5: Iran. Photograph of etching: ? - Palace. Similar to Shrine of Fatimeh at Kum." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.05
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Palaces  Search this
Thrones  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.05
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3a2d476d1-e0da-48e8-b96e-2bfaf10d91b1
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10055

Vicinity of Tehran (Iran): Barut-Khana or gunpowder factory/reservoir

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"According to the text under the image the photo is from a lithograph depicting a gunpowder factory/reservoir or Barut-Khana in the outskirts of Tehran. The lithograph was published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.6: Iran. Photograph of etching: ? - Kasr-i Kajar." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.06
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.06
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3771a1de9-5899-4f5b-a790-d2256ffed863
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10056

Tehran (Iran): Old Dawlat Gate and City Walls

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The photo is from a lithograph depicting the old Darcaza Dawlat or Dawlat gate and city walls of Tehran. The lithograph was published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time." [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."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.7: Iran. Photograph of etching: ? - Kasr-i Kajar. (Cracked)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.07
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.07
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc361a32122-8009-4e71-ad70-9d18c74242fa
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10057

Tehran (Iran): Palace Complex of Qasri-Qajar (Qasr-e-Qajar)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The title of the image identifies the structure as Qasr-i Qajar in the outskirts of Tehran. The palace was built during Fath Ali Shah's reign on elevated grounds of outside Tehran. The palace was mainly used as the spring residence of Fath Ali Shah. The lithograph was published in Flandin, Eugène, and Pascal Coste. Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d'après les instructions dressées par l'Institut. Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l'intérieur. Paris: Gide et J. Baudry, 1840-41. The book was one of the comprehensive studies of the orient at the time." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Handwritten information on slip of paper (from a 1943-1944 cash book, produced by the Bathni Brothers, Tehran) reads, "Kasr-i Kajār." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 12.8: Iran. Photograph of etching: ? - Kasr-i Kajar." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 12."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.08
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Palaces  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.12.08
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3bbd5931b-354e-42e2-aed0-33539e7b0586
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10058

Tehran (Iran): Maydan-I Tupkhana (Square of Canons), Baladiyya (City Hall or Municipality)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.8 cm. x 12.7 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1900-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The first legal definition of the responsibilities of the city hall was approved by the congress in 1907 and the construction of the new building of Baladuiyya started around the same time. The complex was later destroyed by Riza Shah to make room for the expansion of the square of Canons." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Handwritten information on slip of paper (from a 1943-1944 cash book, produced by the Bathni Brothers, Tehran) reads, "165) Municipality-Teheran." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 13.165: Tehran. municipal building." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 13."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.13.05
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.13.05
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3179878e0-7546-4549-9284-40d79849fecb
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10067

Tehran (Iran): Entrance to Bagh-i Milli from Sipah Avenue

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.7 cm. x 12.7 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The sign on the wall reads Maydan-i Sipah. The uniform of the guard and the soldier in the mid-ground of the image suggests early Pahlavi period." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Handwritten information on slip of paper (from a 1943-1944 cash book, produced by the Bathni Brothers, Tehran) reads, "442) Khiabani Arc." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 13.442: ? . Khiabani Arch." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 13."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.13.09
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.13.09
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3656a12cc-692b-4cc4-9625-6a44a8118971
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10071

Tehran (Iran): Masjid-i Sipahsalar (Sipahsalar Mosque): Shops in Courtyard

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.8 cm. x 12.7 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
Scope and Contents:
"The Madrasa/mosque complex was built in 1866 on the orders of Mirza Mohammad Khan (Sipahsalar) (d.1867), Nasir al-Din shah's minister of the army and later chief minister. The complex includes also a library, bath, and hospital. The view is from atop the walls of the Mosque's courtyards showing the shops (Fabric sellers)." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 14.2: Celebration at a mosque." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.14.02
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Religious buildings  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.14.02
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3b6577a04-c0d9-43da-b3b1-578811c34bc7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10074

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

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.8 cm. x 13 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1930
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]
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."
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.
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.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Shrines  Search this
Religious buildings  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.14.08
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3d1d2c42e-2dd5-46cc-b90e-65d6be975a80
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10080

Tehran (Iran): British Embassy: View from Inside the Garden

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1900
Scope and Contents:
"The British embassy in Tehran was constructed by a British architect called James Wild on a piece of land acquired by the British government in 1860. The construction of the building lasted for almost sixteen years, the bulk of which was constructed from 1871 to 1876. The dome of the building - visible in the background of the image - along with some of the large glass windows, were imported from United Kingdom, the transport of which posed unforeseen problems for the completion of the building. The photograph is taken from inside the embassy's garden (south), depicting a child on horseback with an attendant. The photograph was turned into a postcard at approximately the same time." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 15.7: Palace. side view. (cracked)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 15."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.15.07
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.15.07
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3d80a0acf-54a8-40d7-9d93-b41bc7dc8523
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10091

Qazvin (Iran): Imamzada Hussayn Mosque (Shahzade Hossein Tomb Complex)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, --.- cm. x --.- cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Qazvīn (Iran)
Date:
1890-1920
Scope and Contents:
"Based on the different inscriptions in the building, the earliest part of the structure can be dated to early 15th century. The building however has extensive renovations from Safavid and Qajar period. The visible inscriptions in the photo dates to 1307 (1890), therefore the photograph must have been taken after this date. The inscription bears the name and signature of the artist, as welll as Nasir al-Din Shah's praises." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1267."
- Scratched handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1264."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 15.12: Kazvim. mosque of Shah Sultan Hussein. Entrance (sent to Prof. Varjavand, U. of Tehran)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 15."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.15.12
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Religious buildings  Search this
Shrines  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.15.12
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3bb47e293-21cf-4932-9146-1386620eee14
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10096

Province of Gilan (Iran): Park and Buildings at Port of Bandar Anzali

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.9 cm. x 12.9 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Bandar Anzalī (Iran)
Date:
1930s
Scope and Contents:
"The image is part of a series of photos from the port and its new constructions. The photos depict the official buildins of Bandar-I Anzali (also called Bandar-I Pahlavi) or Anzali port. One of the images in the series shows one of the buildings with a sing on top that reads: "[...] Nazmiyya - Bandar-i Pahlavi". the port of Anzali on the south edge of the Caspian sea and to the north of Tehran was renamed to Pahlavi in 1934. As such the photo mush have been taken after the death of Antione Sevruguin and by someone associated with his studio." [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 and missing the left lower corner."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 16.2: View of Town." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 16."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.16.02
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.16.02
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc36ec6fa7e-f411-4e0a-8607-c743e61d6cad
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10098

Qum (Iran): Hazrat-i Ma'suma Shrine Complex: View of the Mirror Iwan

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 12.8 cm. x 17.9 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Qum (Iran)
Date:
1880-1920
Scope and Contents:
"The initial construction on the site of the holy shrine - with an octoganal plan - in Qum dates back to 13th century. In addition to northward expansion of the whole complex, the original octagonal dome was also modified into a round structure in the earlier years of Safavid dynasty. The southwest corner of the structure houses the tombs of more than a few of Safavid kings, including Shah Sultan Hussayn and Shah Safi. In the 1880s, the new courtyard to the shrine was ordered by Amin al-Sultan, during which the two grand minarets of the western iwan and the two smaller minarets of the entrance were also added to the complex. The golden dome is dated back to Fath Ali Shah-I Qajar, which is consistent with the other restorations to religious buildings of the time. The photographer depicts the western iwan of the shrine which represents the most recent additions and embelishemnts of the time. The image is therefore taken after the Nasiri additions to the structure." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1036."
- Handwritten information on slip of paper (from a 1943-1944 cash book, produced by the Bathni Brothers, Tehran) reads, "489) 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 17.1: Tehran. Abdul Azim (#489)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 17."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.01
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Religious buildings  Search this
Shrines  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.01
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3d585bcfc-d7fc-47bc-bee7-570164a95de2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10106

Tehran (Iran): Maydan-i Tupkhana (Canons Square): Bank-i Shahanshahi-i Iran (Imperial Bank of Persia)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 18 cm. x 13 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1880-1889
Scope and Contents:
"The bank was established as a result of Iran's agreement with Julius De Reuter in 1889. The building in this picture was replaced by the new structure in Square of Canons in 1889. Though the bank operated inside Iran, it was under the British rules and regulations. Until 1894, the bank was the sole authority for publishing money notes in Iran." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo manipulation reads, "Two thin lines on the bottom and the right side of the negative. The two sides are intentionally broken."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 17.3: Contemporary station (?)." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 17."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.03
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.03
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3d2181d4c-20a8-4a14-941b-528bc7acd93f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10108

Tehran (Iran): Maydan-i Sipah or Maydan-I Tupkhana, Nazmiyya Building

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.7 cm. x 12.7 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1920s
Scope and Contents:
"The photo depicts the building of Nazmiyya (Police headquarters) in Maydan-I Sipah or Maydan-I Tupkhana in its background. The new structure of police headquarter was built around 1880, a few years after Antoine de Montfort - along with a delegation of 14 other austrian officers - arrived in Iran with the mission to establish the new police force in Iran. The photo however is taken at least a few decades after the above mentioend date, as a car can be seen in the background of the image passing the street. The first cars arrived in Iran after 1900 and within the next ten to fifteen years they became a relatively common sight in Tehran. The model of the car also points to the 1920s." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo manipulation reads, "Two thin lines on the bottom and the right side of the negative. The two sides are intentionally broken."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 17.4: Bldgs." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 17."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.04
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.04
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3b42f9160-7fc7-4174-b5ed-ddbdc6431248
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10109

Tehran (Iran): Darvaza-i Khurasan (Khurasan Gate)

Topic:
Early Photography of Iran
Creator:
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Names:
Islamic Archives  Search this
Sevruguin, Antoin, 1851-1933  Search this
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Collection Creator:
Smith, Myron Bement, 1897-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Glass negative (b&w, 17.7 cm. x 12.7 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Glass negatives
Place:
Asia
Iran
Tehran (Iran)
Date:
1882-1900
Scope and Contents:
"The gate pictured here might also be Darvaza-i Rah-Ahan (Gate of the Train). The photo should have been taken on the earlier days of railway construction betwen Tehran and Shah Abdul 'Azim by a Belgian engineer, M. Buvatal. The first line was constructed between Khurasan gate and Shah Abd al-'Azim gate in 1882. The steam coming out of the train was the reason behind the local naming of the train as Mashin Doodi (Smoking Machine)." [Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Curatorial Research Assistant]
- Handwritten number (inked, probably by Antoin Sevruguin) reads, "1031."
- FSg curatorial research specialist remark on Antoin Sevruguin photo condition reads, "Three small brown spots in the centre and to the left side of the negative."
- Myron Bement Smith handwritten caption in English reads, "47.P; Box 17.5: Train." [Myron Bement Smith Collection, Subseries 2.1: Islamic Archives History, Collection Information; Box 60; Folder 44: 47 P: Antoine Sevruguin, glass negatives, Iran]
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 17."
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.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.05
General:
Title and summary note are provided by Shabnam Rahimi-Golkhandan, FSg curatorial research specialist.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Architecture  Search this
Transportation  Search this
Genre/Form:
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.
Identifier:
FSA.A.04, Item FSA A.4 2.12.GN.17.05
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
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc35fe18b2b-8a71-47bd-acbc-cbc7e1ddf567
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-fsa-a-04-ref10110

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