photograph of a married couple no. 070

Photograph of a marriage registration, taken in an unknown studio in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The bride is sitting in an armchair and the groom on the arm of the chair. The groom wears a modern suit of presumably light brown colour, white shirt and tie. A white handkerchief appears in the breast pocket of his jacket. He wears the wedding ring in his left hand, with which he touches the bride’s arm. The bride wears a long stylish beige dress with a very long veil, which extends onto the floor. The crown (gelin başlığı) is made of artificial flowers, no diamonds (diamonds were exclusively worn at the wedding ceremony). The crown is placed high on the head, leaving the front part of the thick wavy hair exposed. Her lips and finger-nails are painted red. The bride holds one flower in her hands, and there is also a large flower decorating the belt, which is made of the same fabric with that of her dress. Another flower is attached in the middle of the chest. The dress has a V-neck, elbow-long sleeves and pleats on the front of the shoulders, opening onto the chest. She wears earrings, a necklace and bracelets, two on each arm, one of them of the type called burma (twisted); the others are called hasır (mat pattern). Registration took place before the wedding ceremony, sometimes even years before. Traditionally, after registration the pair continued to live separately; only after the wedding ceremony could they settle in their new home. The bride’s name was Sadıka and the groom’s Muhsin.