The City Photo Museum

The heritage of the history of photography in Iran is collected here: The City Photo Museum. A structure located in Bahar Shiraz street near Haft-e Tir square. The history of photography in Iran is narrated in the place. 

The photography industry entered Iran in the middle of Mohammad Shah Qajar around three years after its advent in the world. Ordered by Mohammad Shah, Russia and English states sent the instruments of daguerreotype photography to Iran. The Russian machine which was a gift reached sooner. Trained with the purpose of using the machine, Nikolai Pavlov, the young Russian diplomat, brought the set to Iran so that the first recorded photo in the history of Iran was taken at the presence of Mohammad Shah in 1842. 

Due to the objective realism on a small surface and on the other hand, being easy to use, photography and its imaginal magic made people passionate a lot meeting their needs of having different pictures of the world. Today, the heritage is accessible in The City Photo Museum in Tehran. 

The operation for constructing the museum started in 1994 while it was publicly opened in 1995 at the same time as the World Museum Day in an area of 250 square meters. The City Photo Museum is one of the museums belonged to the Cultural and artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality. It is the first museum on this subject in Iran and the whole middle east. It includes different sections in two galleries, specific library and laboratory. 

The Gallery 1 is a place for exhibiting large-size cameras from its invention to 1900, tools, instruments and some containers and materials and chemicals used in developing and fixing photos. The gallery is also the place of holding some temporary exhibitions on photography. 

In gallery 2 medium and small-size cameras related to 1900 to 1970 are on display. The existence of the old photography studios in the gallery as well as negative glasses, indicates the history of photography in Iran. 

Another section in the museum is laboratory where photos are developed and fixed. The section is accessible by students and photographers who get permission in advance. In addition, the specific library in the museum is active in collecting and offering professional books, magazines and newspapers you can join and use as member.