Antoin Sevruguin is one of many Armenian photographers who worked throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Russia at the end of the nineteenth century. Armenian photographers were particularly common in the Ottoman Empire and British-controlled Egypt. Here they were able to cater to the tastes of Western travelers, as well as local buyers. As Christians, they could connect to tourists while still being a part of the local population. Further, they often possessed the technical expertise necessary to be photographers, building successful photography businesses. One such photographer, Gabriel Lekegian, who was based in Cairo, even journeyed to Chicago for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and had a shop in the Cairo Street on the Midway. In Iran, Armenians did not dominate the market to the same extent, but Armenian photographers such as Sevruguin were still common.
This slideshow features the complete set of 153 photographs (152 original albumen prints and one copy) primarily attributed to Antoin Sevruguin in the OI Museum collection.
Runtime: 12:30
