Portrait Photographs From Isfahan by Parisa Damandan

Portrait Photographs From Isfahan by Parisa Damandan

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Summary

Following the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, photographs of women uncovered were forbidden, resulting in the burning down of many photographers' studios. This work is a collection of pioneering photographs from the early twentieth century, which offers a window on the changing face of Iranian society during that period.

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Portrait Photographs From Isfahan by Parisa Damandan

The establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 meant women were forced to wear the hijab and photographs of them uncovered were forbidden. As a result, many photographers' studios were burnt to the ground, while remaining archives of invaluable glass-plate negatives were left to moulder in attics. Parisa Damandan spent over ten years accumulating an impressive collection of pioneering photographs from the early twentieth century, in her hometown of Isfahan. Recently emancipated women posing in various state of dress, Polish war refugees on their tortuous journey home after fleeing the Nazis, men in fashionable hats or in traditional turbans and cloaks - these portraits offer a remarkable window on the changing face of Iranian society during a period of transition from a traditional to a modern culture. Alongside these stunning images are essays on the development of portraiture in Isfahan, the social dimensions of portrait photography in Iran, and the power of the gaze.
'Excellent.. beautifully produced.' The Middle East in London 'Reveals as much about how photographers worked in the first half of the 20th century as it does about how people in those times saw themselves, how the identity of a nation took shape, fell apart and reformed against a backdrop of industrialization, modernity, political change and looming revolution and upheaval.' The Daily Star, Beirut 'A fascinating record of social change.' Saudi Gazette
Parisa Damandan (b. 1967, Isfahan) is an Iranian photographer and art historian. A graduate of the University of Tehran, she is the author of Portrait Photographs from Isfahan: Faces in Transition, 1920–1950. She also spearheaded efforts to recover photographic archives lost in the 2003 Bam earthquake.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780863565533
ISBN 10 0863565530
Title Portrait Photographs From Isfahan
Author Parisa Damandan
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Saqi Books
Year published 2004-10-28
Number of pages 263
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.