Gazing through a Lens—ʿAli Khan Documents 19th-Century -- film screening

This film project by Azadeh Tajpour explores a remarkable album of photographs created by ‘Ali Khan Vali (1846–1902), the governor of several cities in the North-West regions of Iran and an avid photographer. The album is a unique collection of more than 1,400 photographs pages. ‘Ali Khan Vali’s meticulous documentation of landscapes, settlements, historical monuments, and everyday life illuminates a critical era in Iranian history.

Gazing through a Lens—ʿAli Khan Documents 19th-Century  looks into the choices made to include or exclude certain subjects in this album, for instance the changes in presentation of women through different regions or different socioeconomic classes.

Azadeh Tajpour is a multidisciplinary artist based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a senior editorial assistant at Women's Worlds in Qajar Iran Digital Archive directed by Afsaneh Najmabadi.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/visit/calendar/film-and-discussion-gazing-through-a-lens-ali-khan-documents-19th-century-iran