Original photograph of the Entrance of the Bosphorus, taken by M. Iranian. 'Entree du Bosphore. 97: M. Iranian.

Photographer: MIHRAN IRANIAN, (Turkish - Armenian photographer in Constantinople), (1890-19??). Mihran Iranian., [c. 1910], Ist. Original sepia-toned photograph printed in a period photograph paper. 19x25 cm. Descriptive text in French. Chipped and tear on margins. Iranian was born in 1890 in Constantinople, Istanbul. It is known that he established his studio in 1891 in Pera district of Constantinople – the center of Armenian cultural and political life. In 1895 he enters into partnership with another photographer by the name of Gugasyan. By 1900s the business seems to have wound down as the images marked with his studio signature don’t exhibit any over elements of the new century. Of all the major Armenian studios from Istanbul, Iranian’s photographs are the rarest, and less than 300 are known to have survived. Iranian’s primary subject was the city of Constantinople, its picturesque landscape, architectural heritage, and the many types of artisans and workers that populated its stre