Female and Male

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.

The photograph depicts Shnorig Guvezian and Stepan Eramian on the day of their wedding (14 February 1913). The way to the altar was not smooth for this groom, who had to ask his beloved three times until she agreed to marry him. For the occasion Shenouk is dressed in a white western-style, ankle-length and sleeved wedding dress. A long, transparent, decorated veil is attached to a flower crown resting on top of her head. The bride is also wearing white shoes and white gloves, and is holding a bouquet of flowers. Stepan is wearing a dark western-style suit with a long jacket over a vest closed with buttons, also a white shirt and a bow tie.

The photograph commemorates the wedding of Elbisse Eramian and Raphael Armadouni on 11 July 1920. He had to change his profession, move to Paris and wait for four years in order to be accepted as her groom to the family. The bride is wearing an elegant, white, floor-length and long-sleeved wedding dress decorated with a series of probably artificial flowers, from the neckline down to the hem of the dress, on her left side. Encircling her waist is a belt. The bride’s attire is complemented with a long transparent veil, which is attached to a flower crown on top of her head. She is also wearing white gloves and is holding with her right hand the groom’s right hand. Her hair is caught up. The groom is wearing a tall fez, a black western-style suit with a long jacket over a white shirt with a white bow tie, and black shoes. The couple is standing in front of an apse formed with transparent white curtains, which are made of bright patterned cloth similar to that of the wedding dress.

The photograph depicts the Krikorian family in 1899, probably in Damascus. The men are all wearing dark western-style suits, white shirts with high collars and bow ties or ties. The women’s appearance offers a panorama of European-style urban garments at the close of the 19th century; they follow a similar fashion style, despite the use of different fabrics: long dresses or skirts, blouses with a variety of decorated collars, puffed sleeves and accentuated, close-fitting waists. The appearance also varies according to the age. Most interesting are the boys’ suits with long trousers and jackets, and the elaborate dresses of the little girls sitting on a carpet in the front part of the photograph.

The photograph shows Adele Shellish and her husband Atilio Carletti. It was taken outdoors, c. 1920. He is wearing a western-style everyday suit over a white shirt. The dark jacket and the vest, made of the same material, are combined with light-coloured trousers and black shoes. Adele is wearing a white, long-sleeved blouse with a V-shaped opening, and a lighter in colour, high-waisted, rather narrow, and ankle-length skirt, also white heeled shoes and stockings.

This family photograph commemorates the wedding of Elvira Carletti and Alexander Shellish, on the 28th October 1915. The photograph was taken outdoors, in front of the doorway of a building, where a broad painted panel was placed to form the background. The scenery also included a carpet to cover the floor. On the left side of the photograph one can see part of a wooden staircase with plants in flower pots placed on its steps. All guests are dressed with their best clothes, for the special occasion. The bride is wearing an elegant white, floor-length wedding dress with a V-shaped collar, long sleeves puffed on the upper part, and a belt around her waist. She is also wearing arm-length white gloves and a veil attached to an elaborate crown. The lower part of the extremely long, transparent veil extends down on the carpet. In her hands she is holding a small bouquet of flowers. The groom and all other men in the party, with the exception of Cesar Shellish, are all wearing dark western-style suits and white shirts with high collars and either bow ties or ties, and black shoes. The ladies are wearing fashionable, decorated hats of different styles, according to their age, and western-style, long-sleeved, dark-coloured dresses, with the exception of Adele Houry, who is wearing a white blouse under her dress, and Eva Houry, who is sitting on the carpet in front of the bride and is wearing a bright, most probably white dress with embroidered hem and long loose sleeves, also decorated with embroidery at their edges.

The photograph was taken outdoors c. 1880, and it shows five persons wearing typical winter clothes of the time. The only man in the photograph is Dr Clemente Carletti, who is accompanied by his future wife, Yeranig Eramian. Dr Clemente was about to marry the granddaughter of his half-sister, Caterina Luigi Carletti. The age difference between them was 34 years. The other persons in the photograph are Yeranig’s elder sister, Annig Papazian, and her two sisters-in-law. The women are all wearing floor-length dresses with long sleeves, while Annig Papazian and Yeranig Papazian are wearing hip-length jackets, close-fitting to the waist and made of a thick material. Iskouhi Papazian is wearing a shorter jacket, also made of a thicker material than her light-coloured dress. Iskouhi Papazian, Annig Papazian and Yeranig Eramian are all wearing shawls of different fabric over their shoulders. Dr Carletti is wearing a western-style suit with a long overcoat and a bowler hat.

Wedding photograph of Peter Prince and Minnie (Hermine, Herminia) Eramian. She was born in 1903 and married on 10 September 1929 Peter Prince (1894-1972), who was the son of the well-known Maronite Elias Prince; Peter was the representative of an Italian shipping company in Nicosia and was a high-ranking government official. In the photograph he is wearing a black, western-style suit with a three-quarter-length coat over a white shirt with high collar and a tie, also white gaiters on top of his shiny black shoes. In his hands he is holding a bowler hat. Minnie is wearing a lace-covered, layered, western-style wedding dress that almost reaches her ankles. Her light-coloured shoes have high heels and a single strap. Her headdress, on which a long lace veil is attached, is covered with intricate decoration and pearls. The bride is also wearing white gloves and is holding a bouquet of flowers. The whole appearance is typical of the fashion of 1920s.

The photograph was taken to commemorate the wedding of Artin Eramian and Margarita Carletti. They married on 22 June 1895. Artin worked with Lieutenant Kitchener and later became Chief of Police in Larnaca. His death, if it happened in Cyprus, remains a mystery. In the photograph he is wearing a western-style suit, made of a dark, most probably black, fabric. The suit jacket is short and has two dark buttons on each side. He is also wearing a white long-sleeved and high-collared shirt, a white bow tie and white gloves. In his left hand he is holding a bowler hat. The bride is wearing a white, western-style floor-length wedding dress with a high collar and big leg-of-mutton sleeves. A belt is accentuating her waist. Across her chest and on other parts of the wedding dress one can see an elaborate flower decoration. Her long veil is attached to an impressive flower crown that is resting on the top of her head.

The photograph shows Asdghig Eramian and Vahan Kouyoumdjian’s wedding. The groom is wearing a dark-coloured western-style suit with a white shirt and bow tie. He also has a small brooch pinned to his lapel. In his left hand he is holding a pair of white gloves. The bride is wearing a long white, western-style wedding dress and elbow-length gloves. She is further accessorised with a medium-length hooded veil, which is decorated with flowers in the front and an elegant embroidered ending. All bridesmaids are wearing similar in style, long white dresses with slightly ruffled sleeves and three horizontal ruffled stripes around the lower part of the dress, also wide-brimmed hats and white gloves. Hats and gloves were crucial to a respectable appearance for both sexes. The two bridesmaids on the right are further accessorised with pearl necklaces. Two of the flower girls are standing at the front and the other two are sitting on the floor. They are all wearing western-style dresses with ruffles. The dresses of the three of them are sleeveless, while the dress of the girl on the right has puffed sleeves. All the girls are wearing different styles of flower crowns. The little boy in the centre is wearing a white shirt with a collar and dark-coloured overalls with braces to hold them up.