Exhibition: Haroutiun Derhagopian Entrance

The history of the Derhagopian studios in Lebanon and Syria highlights one of the central characteristics attributed to the proliferation of Armenian photographic studios in the Middle East after the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Within this family, we see the transfer of photographic skills from one generation to the next. Badr El-Hage has referred to this as “a family of bees building a beehive.” Frequently, “brothers participated in the work; the craft was transferred from fathers to sons, from one brother to another, or from one family to another by way of marriage…examples of this abound.” Across two generations, this central theme is reflected in the history of the Derhagopian studios from the early part of the 20th century up through 2005 when the studio in Damascus closed its doors.

Exhibit curated by Joseph E. Malikian