The geographic area of what is now known as Iran was once known as Persia. Over the years, the country has witnessed the rise and fall of many rulers and the continuous evolution of culture.
In the second half of the 19th century, Iran stood in the middle of Eastern tradition and Western modernization.
Antoin Sevruguin, a photographer who was born in Iran to a Georgian mother and a Russian father, captured pieces of Iranian history from the 1870s to the 1900s through his camera lens.
Here are a few photos from Sevruguin's collection.
Throughout his career, Sevruguin wanted to achieve two things: to present Iran from different aspects and to manipulate light in order to capture its effects in his photographs.
Sevruguin's photographs range from family portraits to landscapes and architectural buildings.
Fast forward to the 20th century, Iran increasingly became more "Westernized." This is mainly due to the then-ruling Shah Reza Pahlavi's close ties with the West --namely the U.S. and the U.K.
Since the fall of the Iranian Shah during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the more conservative Iran we know today was created.
Here's a glimpse of pre-revolution Iran.
