Photography Articles

Translated to English by "Farzad Emami", member of CPC & CAPA

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From the Pasts

Afshin Shahroudi

Iran, 2006

A few years ago, one of my friends, who was painter, named Mohammad Keihani, called me happily and fresh, so that I go to his place. I went there thinking he wants to share his happiness with me. At the moment of entering, he brought a dusty and weary pocket and photo album. The album ornamented by birds and flowers figures. He put some pale and old photo out of the pocket. He put them all against me.
" I found them in trashy bucket” he said.

The photos mostly belonged to Qajar era, but among them all kind of photos could be found. There were photos that heads or hands of persons were blare because of long exposure, photos of Mozafaredin Shah traveling to the west… Some other belongs to 30 or 40 years ago that were taken in some other part of the world. My friend took the ornamented cover of the album himself and gave the photos to me.

This story was simultaneous with publishing the first issue of Aks-Name magazine. The editor was another friends of mine named Esmail Abassi. I gave him some of the photos with a short note as a gift of magazine birthday, so as to publish them in his magazine. Those photos published in 2nd issue. But this thought came in my mind that so many worthy historic photos are ruined in the hands of ignorant. This brought me the idea of collecting old photos specially portraits that create nostalgic feeling on the past.

I had been searching in dusty shops-windows of antique shops and frippery for old photos, and several times I found some between tear paper, old letters or family album of friends, acquainted and relatives. I asked them persistently to give them to me and gradually they became a collection.

Now a day, I hear some voices from my bookcase. Voices come from the past times. Some voices which address us. These photos are a part of the voices. A collection, which I began collecting them from the rubbish.

As far as my knowledge helps me, these photos are published for the 1st time. Selecting them is based on my private taste and aesthetic feeling as well. The short information that come along with some of them are gathered from notes or sign written on the merge, back or bottom of the photos. Some of the information adopted based on Dr. Mohammad Satari‘s Knowledge.


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