Iran’s First Photography

The year 1839 A.D. marked the advent of the photography industry in France. The photography industry entered Iran during Mohammad Shah-e-Ghajar's monarchy in 1842. The first cameras were dedicated from Nikolai I, the emperor of Russia, and Queen Elizabeth of England to the Iranian court. The first photograph was taken by Nikolai Pavlov, a Russian diplomat who, for the first time, took some photos in Iran.

Later Jules Richard from France went to Golestan palace on the advice of the French Madam Haji Abbas-e-Golsaz, the maid of the princess Mahd-e-Olia (the wife of Mohammad Shah and Naser-e-Din Mirza's mother). The young Crown Prince went to the Golestan palace and took some photos with the camera that was a gift from Victoria. With the advent of photography as a form of art in Iran. the first collection of pioneering works of photography was created. The first photo of an Iranian taken by Pavlov was that of Mohammad Shah-eGhajar. The first Iranian photographer was Malek Gasem Mirza, the 24th son of Fath Ali Shah-e-Ghajar. The first king as a photographer was Naser-e-Din Shah, the 4th king of Ghajar dynasty who was also the first deputy as a photographer. The first selfie was a photo by Naser-e-Din Shah and his wives in a mirror. The first photo script in the history comprised the footnotes of the images through which Naser-e Din Shah described the events, people, places and the ceremonies in the photos. The first royal photo gallery was established in Golestan palace during Naser-e-Din Shah's monarchy. The king learned the skill of photography under the training of Francis Carlihan from France. Taking photos individually or in groups from the women including maids or king's pets in various gestures would always be exclusively done by

Naser-e-Din Shah

Naser-e-Din Shah. The king's assistants who helped him take, develop, and print the photos include several names such as Jafar Gholi Khane-Nayer-ol-Molk, Aziz Khan-e-Khajeh and Golam Hossein Khan famous to Mouchul Khan. The photos were privately developed and printed in MobarakehHomayuni photo lab. In Golestan palace.

There was a razzmatazz each time the king was taking photos in the inner site of the palace. Before the king's arrival, all the palace maids and women would take showers with violet soap and mascara their eyes and eyebrows and do their hair using almond oil. They usually made their hair curly or wavy and wore jasmine crowns. On king's order, they would sit on special chairs which were made from ebony with Manchester red velvet cover. Their photos would be historically identified with the names. The two chairs in Salam Hall in Golestan palace were the chairs which were used for taking photos of the king's mother, the maids, and the king's wives. Using chairs with the same form, they would take photos of boys, brothers, and the royal castrated guards. In the photos remaining from the mirror gallery in Golestan Palace, the royal women and wives, dressed up in handmade foreign colorful royal clothes, would look into the mirror in the kings! company. The glamour of their precious jewelry in the mirrors hung on the walls and ceilings reflects a magnificent image. The image is a complete splendor that for sure would be the first selfie in the mirror in history.