“Dimitri Ermakov in Iran” Presentation at Tbilisi History Museum
By Mariam Chanishvili
Friday, November 15
The presentation of the book “Dimitri Ermakov in Iran” will take place on November 15, 18:00 at Tbilisi History Museum. The authors of the project are Irina Koshoridze, Lika Mamatsashvili, Grigol Beradze.
The book is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Museum of Georgia.
A distinguished photographer of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, photographer Dimitri Ermakov (1842-1916) lived and worked in Georgia, in particular in Tbilisi. He has created a particularly important, multi-layered photographic representation of both Georgia and Tbilisi in particular, as well as the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran and other regions reflected in his travels.
Ermakov's photographic collection comprises tens of thousands of photo prints, glass negatives and albums. These materials, preserved in the National Archives of the National Museum's photo archive, are particularly notable for the Iranian photographs created by Ermakov.
The photos in the book depict the life, space, portraits, and Qajar era of Iran in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The structure of the book was also built within the frames of this topic. Ermakov traveled to Iran three times, enabling him to delve deeper into the country. The Qajar Dynasty was an Iranian family of Oghuz Turkish descent that ruled Persia (Iran) from 1785 to 1925.
Dimitri Ermakov entered Iran and traveled from Gilan province to Tehran, passing through Rasht and Qazvin, and he was a photographer of the Shah and was able to fully convey Iran's historical presence, historical sites and important events. Ermakov's artistic vision is very original and very informative.
It is distinguished by its variety of composition and craftsmanship, which gives us access to the details of character and presence today.
Ermakov's photography, in addition to its historical value, is scientifically distinguished and provides important insights into early photography both in Iran and in the places where he created the archive.
The book presentation, in the exhibition hall, will feature a digital exhibition where the viewer will be introduced to the photos in the book in a thematic sequence: space, presence, portraits.
