Never Seen Before Photographs of Iran’s Constitutional Revolution Expected to Sell for Thousands

13 October 2025

In brief: Three previously unseen photo albums documenting Iran’s Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911) will be auctioned at Roseberys on 31 October with an estimate of £10,000-£15,000. Containing 76 rare images including works by court photographers Antoin Sevruguin and Abdullah Mirza Qajar, the collection captures Qajar officials, Russian and British diplomats and Bakhtiari revolutionaries alongside scenes of unrest such as Turkmen raids in Khorasan. Together the albums offer an unprecedented visual record of political upheaval, foreign influence and social change in early 20th century Iran.

High res images for editorial use here. Please credit Roseberys.

Antiquities, Islamic & Indian Art: Friday 31 October.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

London, October 13: Three albums containing previously unseen photographs of events surrounding Iran’s Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911) will be offered at auction on Friday 31 October at London auctioneers Roseberys, with an estimate of £10,000–£15,000. The albums have remained in private hands since the early 20th century and have never before appeared on the open market.

Lot 180: Three very rare albums of Qajar photographs, depicting events surrounding Iran's Constitutional Revolution Estimate: £10,000 - £15,000

The collection comprises 76 photographs, including documentary images of Russian military regiments and exercises, topographical views of Persia, studio portraits of Qajar officials and works by leading court photographers Antoin Sevruguin (c.1851-1933) and Abdullah Mirza Qajar (1850-1909).

The albums also feature British diplomats, Bakhtiari revolutionaries and other nomadic groups involved in historical events in the early twentieth century. The photos were produced using early photographic processes such as collodion, albumen and matte silver prints. Many images are annotated in Persian ink with captions in Farsi and Russian detailing names of sitters and photographers, the photo studios they were printed in and biographical detail.

Arch of Triumph in the Tabriz encampment circa 1906-1907. During the Constitutional Revolution, Tabriz was a stronghold of the constitutionalist forces. Revolutionary militias and citizens often set up encampments or fortified areas around the city or key squares for political gatherings, parades and military organisation.

The albums include portraits of some of the era’s most significant figures. Antoin Sevruguin, an Armenian-Iranian photographer, documented daily life, court ceremonies and military events with remarkable clarity. Abdullah Mirza Qajar, a prince of the Qajar dynasty, is represented both behind the camera and in the images themselves, highlighting his dual role as photographer and insider to the royal court. The collection also features Russian diplomats and military figures, including Ivan Alekseevich Zinoviev, a senior diplomat and orientalist who served as Director of the Asian Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the State Council. British agents, such as Sir Ardeshir Ji Reporter, who worked clandestinely for British intelligence, are captured in moments that illustrate foreign involvement in Iran’s internal affairs in the early 20th century.

Iranian army portraits from the photo studio of Antoin Sevrugin

This collection of photographs offers an unparalleled visual record of one of the defining political upheavals of the modern Middle East. Some of these images represent the earliest examples of journalistic photography in Iran. Given the photographers’ close access to military events and Russian troops, they may have been produced as diplomatic gifts or presented to foreign dignitaries, though their precise origins remain unknown. These albums are an invaluable document of 20th-century Middle Eastern history, illuminating the complex web of relations between Iran, Britain and Russia."

Alice Bailey, Director and Head of Islamic & Indian Art at Roseberys.

At the turn of the 20th century, Iran was caught between the competing interests of two imperial powers; Tsarist Russia and Great Britain. Russia sought to maintain the Qajar monarchy as a buffer against British influence in the region, while Britain aimed to protect its commercial and strategic interests in southern Persia and along trade routes to India. This rivalry intensified Iran’s political instability and shaped the environment in which the Constitutional Revolution unfolded.

Heads of Yomut and Goklen Turkmen rebels, captured after a series of raids on Joveyn and the Khorasan highway, 26 November 1907 (16 Shawwal 1325 AH). The attacks targeted villages and travellers in northeastern Iran during the political chaos of the Qajar Constitutional Revolution, as Turkmen groups exploited the weakening of central control to plunder settlements and seize captives.

The Constitutional Revolution emerged in response to widespread dissatisfaction with the Qajar monarchy, which had accrued significant debts to Russia and Britain to fund the Shah’s extravagant lifestyle. An emergent mercantile bourgeoisie and an increasingly politicised urban population began to view monarchic despotism as a barrier to economic and social development. The revolution was driven by merchants, religious leaders and reformist intellectuals demanding limits on the Shah’s power, the establishment of a majlis (parliament) and a constitution modeled on European precedents.

Centre: British Agent Sir Ardeshir Ji Reporter (1865–1932)

The uprising itself was inspired in part by Russia’s 1905 revolution, which saw workers and peasants challenge Tsar Nicholas II’s autocracy. News of this upheaval, alongside Japan’s surprising victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), encouraged Iranian reformers and merchants to challenge the excesses of the Qajar monarchy and demand constitutional limits on royal power. The movement drew heavily on the resources of Tehran’s bazaar, which functioned not only as a commercial hub but also as a centre of religious and political organisation.

Tsarist Russian generals, soldiers and diplomats in Iran

Through these portraits and documentary images, the albums reveal the complex interactions of local, dynastic and foreign powers during a formative period in Iranian history. They provide rare insight into the people, places and networks that shaped the Revolution, from the corridors of the Qajar palace to the streets and sanctuaries of Tehran and to the northern military encampments under Russian influence.

Exhibition and Auction
The albums will be exhibited at Cromwell Place in Central London from Wednesday 22 - Thursday 23 October, before being offered at auction as part of Roseberys’ Antiquities, Islamic & Indian Arts auction on Friday 31 October.

ENDS

High res images available for editorial use here. Please credit Roseberys.
For media enquiries please contact: aliciaglenn@roseberys.co.uk

About Roseberys:

Operating in London for more than 30 years, Roseberys Fine Art Auctioneers is a privately owned specialist fine art and antiques auction house and valuers, located in the heart of South London.

The team of world renowned experts and consultants offer both buyers and sellers a range of specialist art market services and a calendar of over 30 specialist auctions a year covering all areas of Asian Arts, Islamic & Indian Art, Jewellery & Watches, Old Master, 18th & 19th Century Art, Modern British & Contemporary British Art, Urban & Contemporary Prints & Multiples, 20th Century Art & Design, Impressionist, Modern, Post War & Contemporary Art and Decorative Arts, Fine & Decorative sales including Silver, Ceramics, Works of Art and Furniture.

In addition to hosting over 30 specialist auctions annually, Roseberys offers single-owner collection sales. Recent highlights include the Mary & Alan Hobart Collection (founders of Pyms Gallery), an Important Private Collection of Chinese Imperial Porcelain and The George Farrow Collection.

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