Axkhaneh Shahr (Iranian Photo Museum) affiliated with the Artistic and Cultural organization of
Tehran Municipality the fist specialized museum of photography in
Iran and the Middle east.
It was established in May, 1995 and contains photographic instruments which were made more than one hundred years ago. It is always open to public
the collection of photo in museum is Include of old photos Since qajar to present .
Many of photos are gift from photographers & Some of These photos buy by
Iran Photo Museum .The Collection of Movie Camera , slide Projection and print Instruments Since 1890 to Present .The Collection of Glass Plate ( Negatives ).
Less than ten years had passed the advent of photography in Europe when this technique found its way to
Iran.It was during the latter years of the reign of Mohammed Shah Qajar and the early years of that of his son Naser al-Din Shah, that the royal court took special interest in this magical innovation.
Indeed, Naser al-Din Shah was among the first to master the art of photography. He enjoyed working on
...see more themes as diverse as the women of his harem, architecture, landscapes, hunting escapades and even political prisoners.
He also left behind an excellent collection of self-portraits
Historical records refer to two French men, Carlion and Richard, whose services were engaged by the court for the purpose of photography and instruction of methods of developing and printing as early as 1844.
The European diplomatic missions along with technical and military advisors stationed in Iran were also instrumental in introducing the different methods of printing as they developed in Europe.
Furthermore they were active in documenting their sojourn in this part of the orient. August Kerziz Austrian military instructor (1851-59), Focchetti Italian engineer (1847), Luigi Pesce Italian general and military attaché (1848-61), Luigi Montabone Italian photographer (1862) and Ernst Holtzer German engineer (1860’s) are a few examples of such Europeans.
By 1860 photography was taught at Dar al-Fonoun (polytechnic institute) in Tehran. Many students of the institute left for Europe in order to pursue and perfect their education in photography.
Reza Khan Eghbal al-Saltaneh, Abdollah Khan Qajar, Mohammed Jafar Khan Khadem are Iranians whose photography careers began in the late 1850’s. Roussi Khan, a pupil of Abdollah Khan Qajar, inaugurated the first public photography studio in Tehran in 1878.
By 1890 such studios had been established in the main cities such as Tabriz, Isfahan, Bushehr and shiraz.
Considering the fact that the ground breaking innovations in photography and printing took place between 1839-41 in Europe, the early years of Iranian photography are almost coincidental with and run parallel to that of Europe.
As such early Iranian photographers and the Europeans who lived or traveled through Iran at the time, documenting their lives and surroundings through photography are among the forerunners of this art and propagators of this technique in the history of photography.
These men have left behind a legacy of photographs depicting their epoch which have found their way to European and American museums, archives of collectors here and abroad, and the vaults of men and women who guard their family heritage.
This museum with the subject of photography heritage in Iran includes photos, plates, negatives, cameras and the other tools of the craft for photography and print and its activities are research oriented as well as being educational, cultural and informative.
However it's important to understand that for obvious reasons and to maintain and protect the valuable collections in the museum, it is not possible to lend out photo collections or other articles for research and investigation.
However, the researchers are welcome to use the printed version of the photos and the detailed pamphlets on the cameras, etc. provided by our publication unit.
We are hoping that with these efforts the researchers would find the information they need, also the museum personnel are always ready to answer the questions of the visitors and researchers.
This museum is trying to attract a broader range of audience and provide the basis for promoting tourism and work hard on solving any short comings in the process.
Refrence: allmuseums.com/english/photo_museum.html - iranphotomuseum.com
