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ELIA KAHVEDJIAN'S PHOTOGRAPHS EXHIBIT OPENS IN SAN FRANCISCO
May 29, 2014 - 15:24 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Elia Kahvedjian's photographs are stunning examples
of the history that resides in the walls of Jerusalem - a history
that transcends barriers of race, ethnicity, religion and time. A
new exhibition at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco that
will run through June 21 reveals some of the works of Kahvedjian,
an Armenian refugee who lived in Israel in the early 20th century
and is easily one of the region's most influential photographers,
SFGate reports.
Many of the black-and-white photographs paint a vivid picture of
pre-state Israel, transporting viewers from Christian to Muslim
quarters, Damascus Gate to the Sea of Galilee, shoe shiners to
dancing Gypsies, communal celebrations to moments of quiet prayer
and reverence.
"There are lots of photos of people, seemingly unobserved, working
at their jobs," says Lenore Naxon, a curator at the JCCSF. "They form
a remarkable record of the time and place, a real step back in time."
When Kahvedjian's son and grandson discovered thousands of negatives in
his Jerusalem shop in 1987, they realized that Kahvedjian had amassed
not only his own photos, but 1,400 images by other photographers that
dated from 1840 to 1947 - some of which are included in the exhibition
- which were immediately recognized as treasures offering us a fuller
picture of Kahvedjian's life, as well as pre-Israel Jerusalem. His
Jerusalem shop, Elia Photo Services, is still in existence as a museum.
Kahvedjian's granddaughter Laura Dirtadian says that the exhibition
captures aspects of Israel that few people see nowadays. After the
opening of the show, "There were people coming up to me who were
crying, because of the environment which was portrayed in these
photographs. You see Palestinians and Israelis and Armenians, and
they are living among one another in peace."
The photographs in the collection, especially the ones Kahvedjian
collected from earlier times, are also particularly poignant, given
that many reveal sites that no longer in exist, SFGate says.
Kahvedjian himself lived through great turmoil. Although details about
his life remain fuzzy, he is thought to have been born in eastern
Turkey around 1910. In 1915, his entire family was killed during the
Armenian Genocide. He spent a few years on the streets in Turkey,
but with the assistance of an American aid organization, eventually
moved to an orphanage in Nazareth. After an apprenticeship with a
photographer, he relocated to Jerusalem to open a photo shop. He died
in 1999.
When Kahvedjian turned to photography, the majority of his work
comprised family portraits and wedding photos. However, Dirtadian
says, her grandfather had a deep appreciation for art, and much of
his attention was focused on stolen moments of beauty.
"He gravitated toward everyday life and routine, to scenes of serenity
and peace," she says.
Although Dirtadian only saw her grandfather twice, his story has
always been a part of her.
"His photographs remind us of our past," she said, "of our ability to
live and work with and among one another in harmony and appreciation."
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/179391/Elia_Kahvedjians_photographs_exhibit_opens_in_San_ Francisco
http://www.sfgate.com/art/article/Elia-Kahvedjian-Photos-offer-look-at-pre-state-5510888.php
May 29, 2014 - 15:24 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Elia Kahvedjian's photographs are stunning examples
of the history that resides in the walls of Jerusalem - a history
that transcends barriers of race, ethnicity, religion and time. A
new exhibition at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco that
will run through June 21 reveals some of the works of Kahvedjian,
an Armenian refugee who lived in Israel in the early 20th century
and is easily one of the region's most influential photographers,
SFGate reports.
Many of the black-and-white photographs paint a vivid picture of
pre-state Israel, transporting viewers from Christian to Muslim
quarters, Damascus Gate to the Sea of Galilee, shoe shiners to
dancing Gypsies, communal celebrations to moments of quiet prayer
and reverence.
"There are lots of photos of people, seemingly unobserved, working
at their jobs," says Lenore Naxon, a curator at the JCCSF. "They form
a remarkable record of the time and place, a real step back in time."
When Kahvedjian's son and grandson discovered thousands of negatives in
his Jerusalem shop in 1987, they realized that Kahvedjian had amassed
not only his own photos, but 1,400 images by other photographers that
dated from 1840 to 1947 - some of which are included in the exhibition
- which were immediately recognized as treasures offering us a fuller
picture of Kahvedjian's life, as well as pre-Israel Jerusalem. His
Jerusalem shop, Elia Photo Services, is still in existence as a museum.
Kahvedjian's granddaughter Laura Dirtadian says that the exhibition
captures aspects of Israel that few people see nowadays. After the
opening of the show, "There were people coming up to me who were
crying, because of the environment which was portrayed in these
photographs. You see Palestinians and Israelis and Armenians, and
they are living among one another in peace."
The photographs in the collection, especially the ones Kahvedjian
collected from earlier times, are also particularly poignant, given
that many reveal sites that no longer in exist, SFGate says.
Kahvedjian himself lived through great turmoil. Although details about
his life remain fuzzy, he is thought to have been born in eastern
Turkey around 1910. In 1915, his entire family was killed during the
Armenian Genocide. He spent a few years on the streets in Turkey,
but with the assistance of an American aid organization, eventually
moved to an orphanage in Nazareth. After an apprenticeship with a
photographer, he relocated to Jerusalem to open a photo shop. He died
in 1999.
When Kahvedjian turned to photography, the majority of his work
comprised family portraits and wedding photos. However, Dirtadian
says, her grandfather had a deep appreciation for art, and much of
his attention was focused on stolen moments of beauty.
"He gravitated toward everyday life and routine, to scenes of serenity
and peace," she says.
Although Dirtadian only saw her grandfather twice, his story has
always been a part of her.
"His photographs remind us of our past," she said, "of our ability to
live and work with and among one another in harmony and appreciation."
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/179391/Elia_Kahvedjians_photographs_exhibit_opens_in_San_ Francisco
http://www.sfgate.com/art/article/Elia-Kahvedjian-Photos-offer-look-at-pre-state-5510888.php