Parisa Damandan spent over ten years accumulating an impressive collection of pioneering early twentieth-century photographs from her hometown of Isfahan. Recently emancipated women posing in various state of dress; Polish war refugees on their tortuous journey home after fleeing the Nazis; men in fashionable hats or in traditional turbans and cloaks – these portraits offer a remarkable window on the changing face of Iranian society during a period of transition from a traditional to a modern culture.
Alongside these stunning images are essays on the development of portraiture in Isfahan, the social dimensions of portrait photography in Iran and the power of the gaze.
About the Author
Parisa Damandan was born in Isfahan, Iran, in 1967. She has a degree in Photography from the University of Tehran.
About the Publisher
Saqi Books is a leading independent publisher of trade and academic books on the Middle East and North Africa with two imprints: Westbourne Press is committed to releasing engaging works that offer an alternative, progressive perspective on the leading issues of our time, and Telegram publishes new and classic international writing.
