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print this pageThe Shah and His Camera on the Unveiling of the Iranian Women from the Harem
Fazilat Soukhakian
Friday, October 18 - 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Kimball Arts 143
Despite the general belief that Islam forbad the representational images of people and in particular women's faces in 19th century Iran, the king of Persia, Naser Al-Din Shah, photographed Persian women in his harem in erotic poses and mostly naked. His interest in photography and the camera led him to unveil the secret life of the private circles of his kingdom. By doing this he opened up the subjects of gender and sexuality in 19th century Iran. This research explores how photography and political power worked hand-inhand in the production of Iran's modernity. By crossing certain social boundaries, women were empowered to be agents of change. Through a visual analysis of images taken by the Shah, we can infer that these photographs are visual evidence of how the power of camera has been divided and used equally between photographer and subject. The presence of the Shah is clearly embedded in the photographs although he is not pictured in it, partially through his vision and sense of voyeurism replied by a glance of the subject into the lens. These photographs are historical pieces of evidence showcasing the social construction of gender and sexuality in the 19th century Qajar dynasty, when women alongside men were seeking their rights and power through modernity, ironically within a society that 170 years later still struggles to establish such rights for women.
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