An Armenian family from Marash

The photograph shows an Armenian family from Marash in a studio setting. In front sit a woman in a dark dress and an elderly man with glasses holding a walking stick. Beside and behind them stand two girls in light-coloured dresses, as well as a man with a moustache and a teenage boy, both in suits and ties.

The clothing, posture and gazes of the sitters convey family discipline, dignity and the urban culture of the time. The calm pose of the adults and the focused gaze of the children show the bond between generations. Photographs like this have preserved not only faces but the social image of an entire community.