photograph of Şifa Hüseyin Esengin no. 037

Studio photograph of Şifa Hüseyin Esengin (1908-1989). The photograph was taken in 1938, when she was 30 years old. Seven years earlier, in 1931, Şifa had become a midwife. In the studio she is standing near a column with a podium, on which she rests her right hand. The background shows a romantic landscape. Her wavy hair is just long enough to cover her ears. She wears a full-length sleeved dress made of cotton cloth (idare) with a narrow belt of the same fabric around the waist. The rather narrow, straight skirt shows vertical stitched lines in front (sewn with a machine). Two obliquely sewn lines also appear on either side on the breasts. A separate, detachable wide collar made of a different white fabric, covers the shoulders and all around the chest and back. It is tied in front with cords. This modern style is complemented with thin, transparent stockings and white, perforated, high-heeled sandal bar shoes with a buckle fastening. Photograph donated by Şifa’s son, Yusuf Esengin. Village: Kioneli (Gönyeli), Nicosia District.