Black and white

The photograph was taken outdoors and shows five people sitting on rocks, in a mountainous, rocky landscape with big trees. Most probably the group has been photographed during an excursion. The woman on the left (Verkine Djevarhirdjian-Utidjian) is wearing a white, long-sleeved blouse and an ankle-length skirt. She is also wearing a dark-coloured brimmed hat, which she has secured on her head with a white headscarf. Sitting next to her is her daughter, Nevart Utidjian, who is wearing a similar long skirt with a long-sleeved blouse, decorated with a lace collar and a dark-coloured ribbon or tie? Her hat is decorated with flowers. The younger man, Artin Arslanian, is wearing a western-style suit with a white long-sleeved shirt and a tie. The older man sitting next to him is Apisoghom Utidjian, who is dressed in a white suit. Both men are wearing dark shoes and is holding hats in their hands. The unknown woman sitting at the back seems to be wearing a rather casual, everyday dress with a shawl around her shoulders; she does not have a hat. She might have been a servant sitting behind the two couples. This was taken in the late 1910s or early 1920s.

The photograph shows Edgar and Eugene Papasian with friends in Troödos in 1906. The woman sitting close to the piano is wearing a long-sleeved, floor-length dress of a bright material. She has her hair gathered all around and caught up. The man playing the violin is wearing a dark western-style suit with a white, long-sleeved undershirt with a high collar. The two men on the left are also wearing western-style suits, white shirts and ties, whereas the man on the right is wearing a white-long sleeved shirt. All members of the party seem to be intellectuals, members of the high urban society.

Photograph of the wedding of Dr. Dickran Utidjian and Edith Lomax, in London in October 1926. The woman on the left is wearing a simple, western-style long-sleeved and knee-length dress, made from a light fabric. She is also wearing a brimmed hat, tights and heeled shoes with a strap, and is holding a bunch of flowers. The two men on the right are both wearing western-style suits with vests and white shirts with high collars. However, the gentleman with the beard has chosen a suit in a darker colour, a tie and gaiters over his black shoes, whereas the man on the far left is wearing a suit made of a lighter material, and a bow tie.

The groom is wearing a western-style dark-coloured suit with trousers made of a different, striped fabric. He is also wearing a light-coloured vest, a white shirt with a bow tie, and gaiters that cover part of his black shoes. In his left hand he is holding a pair of white gloves. The bride is wearing a white western-style, knee-length wedding dress and a long transparent, embroidered veil attached to a hood, which is heavily embroidered with pearls. She is also wearing white stockings and heeled shoes with pointed toes and a strap. She is further accessorised with a long pearl necklace, and is holding a rich bouquet of white lilies.

The photograph shows, standing from left to right, Elsie, Edgar, Jules, Eugene and Victoria, the five children of John and Bertha Papasian, who are sitting at the centre. They were an Armenian family who lived in Egypt (originally from Smyrna), but Victoria would marry Hrant Utidjian and move to Cyprus. Elsie and Victoria are wearing similar western-style, light-coloured dresses with lace frills on the upper part, full pleated skirts, a belt encircling their waists, and also pleated, elbow-length sleeves. However, Elsie’s skirt is calf-length, longer than the knee-length skirt of her younger sister. According to the general trend, the hemline should descend towards the ankles as a girl got older. The two sisters also have different coiffures: Elsie has her hair caught up and tied at the back, while Victoria has long hair that fall on the left front side and on her back, and are decorated with a bow.

Edgar, Jules and Eugene are all wearing western-style suits made from a dark-coloured material, dark vests and high-collared white shirts with black bow ties. The father is also wearing a western-style suit with a vest and a white long-sleeved shirt with a high collar and a tie. The chain of a pocket watch is attached to a buttonhole of his vest. His wife, Bertha, who is sitting next to him in a similar armchair, is wearing a long-sleeved western-style evening dress made from a bright, light-coloured material covered with a thin, intricately embroidered layer of black tulle that is also used for the transparent sleeves and for the multiple frills across the top of the dress. The skirt is voluminous, with many folds, long and trained. A small brooch decorates the high collar of this impressive dress. Bertha has her hair caught up to form an impressive coiffure.

Apisoghom Utidjian (1853-1929) arrived in Cyprus from Constantinople shortly after July 1878 and stayed in the island until his death. He worked as the official state translator and chief interpreter to the colonial British government from 1878 to 1919. He was an educated person with a great professional career. In the photograph he is presented at an advanced age. He is wearing a dark western-style formal suit with a vest over a white pressed shirt with a high collar and a white bow tie. The jacket is decorated with several medals and one can also see the chain of a pocket watch attached to a button hole of the vest.

Hrant Utidjian (1889-1978), his wife Victoria Papasian (1901-1988) and their children, Aris and Lily, c. 1940. Hrant is wearing a western-style suit with a white shirt and a tie with light-coloured dots. Victoria is wearing in a dark-coloured dress with a V-shaped décolleté. Aris is dressed with a short-sleeved, light-coloured, shiny shirt with a rounded off collar, and trousers made of a different, also light-coloured fabric. Lily is wearing a white transparent dress with slightly puffed short sleeves and a necklace. A white bow decorates her hair.

Photograph taken in a studio to commemorate the wedding of Hrant Utidjian, who was a public servant, and Victoria Papasian who came from Egypt. The photograph was taken c. 1928-1929 in Alexandria. The bride is wearing a white, long-sleeved and knee-length western-style wedding dress with a V-shaped décolleté over a thin white blouse and a drop waist. The outfit is complemented with a long transparent hooded veil with fine decoration, white heeled shoes with one strap and white stockings. The special cut and decorative features of the wedding dress, as well as the whole appearance of the bride, recall the fashion of the mid-war period. The groom is wearing a dark western-style suit, a white shirt with a dark-coloured tie, and white gaiters over black shoes. In his right arm he is holding a pair of white gloves and in the left hand a black hat. The bride is holding the arm of her husband.

Studio photograph commemorating the wedding of Hrant Utidjian and Marie Melikian, daughter of Artin and Elise Melikian, on 27 December 1918. The groom is wearing a western-style suit with a white, high-collared shirt and a white bow tie. The bride is wearing a western-style, calf-length wedding dress, complemented with a long transparent hooded veil, with fine decoration all around its edges. She is also wearing white, heeled shoes and elbow-length gloves. Her appearance reflects the fashion of the second decade of the 20th century. She is looking at and touches a flower bouquet placed on top of a high stand. This wedding lasted only four years.

Photograph of Boghos Eramian Effendi (1840-1918), the seventh child of Artin Boghos Eramian and Caterina Luigi Carletti. The photograph was taken in a studio and it shows Boghos in an advanced age. He is dressed in a western-style black suit with an overcoat made of a thick fabric, a vest and a white high-collared shirt. The costume is complemented with a black tie and a tall fez.

The photograph shows Melikjan Melikian (1842-1914) and his brother Artin Bey Melikian (born in 1858). They were the sons of Hairabed Melikian Agha and Hripsime, the eldest daughter of Artin Boghos Eramian. They were both born in Cyprus, but Melikjan made a career in Turkey and was appointed a Judge for the Armenian community in Boursa, which was a high office for an Armenian in the Ottoman Empire. Artin Bey lived in Nicosia and was in search of a wife. However, it was difficult to find a suitable match, as all girls that were available were also his cousins. Hence, his brother decided to choose a good wife for Artin from among the large Armenian community in Boursa; he was lucky to find Elise Boursayerissian, a beautiful, thirteen-year-old girl. The wedding of Artin and Elise took place in Nicosia on 30/11 February 1895.

In the photograph Melikjan is dressed in a ceremonial army uniform with rich decorations on the collar, the sleeves and the trousers. He is also wearing a belt with an elaborate buckle, gloves and a tall fez. In his left hand he is holding a sabre. His brother is dressed in a western-style black suit with a long coat closed with two series of buttons, over a white long-sleeved undershirt. In his left hand he is holding a top hat.