What do politicians, celebrities, and monarchs of Egypt’s golden age all have in common? They all shared the experience of being photographed by a pre-eminent Armenian Egyptian photographer; my grandfather, Armand Arzrouni who came with his father to Egypt in the 1960’s. Specializing in portrait photography, while carving a lucrative niche market, they became highly sought after by the Egyptian upper and middle class and were the first photographers in Egypt to use photography umbrellas.
From King Faisal II of Iraq to personal family portraits, I had long forgotten the dozens of photographs stocked up in the basement gathering with dust. It took me years to realize that photographs of celebrities, composers,politicians, royals and most importantly family were left forgotten. Each and every photo captured a memory that remains unchanged, bringing back feelings of happiness, sadness and nostalgia. To bring these photographs back to life, the man behind the lens took us on a journey; a personal encounter with the voice behind the picture, enabling us to understand the true essence of photography while indulging in the stories and meaning behind each and every photograph.
Giving us a taste of his photography, my grandfather attended the opening of his photographic exhibition at The American University in Cairo, reviving “Studio Armand: The Art of Wedding Portraiture” co-curated by Ahmed Safyeldin. As an AUC graduate, my grandfather lived through generations of photography, adapting to new conditions and continuing to work on his photography bearing the same signature and style under the advent of technology. Talking about his work, gave the story and the context of his photographs before future generations are able to forget. Although there only remains a small collection of his work, history speaks for itself and the photographs I no longer have will always leave room for imagination.
But behind the lens, there is a lot more to Armand. With his charm, humor and intellect, my grandfather has walked a long road; a timeline of history between the 20th and 21st century. In his 70s now, walking with a cane, he still has that friendly smile, that warm greeting with his motto: “still going strong like Johnnie Walker”. Admiring his optimism as well as his talents, I am proud and thankful to be his granddaughter. His photography has stirred a great deal of emotion in our family, touching up on many others. Featured in The Arab Image Foundation, Portraits du Caire and Photography and Egypt, I am hoping that his work will continue to inspire the youth and future generations, reminding us that through his photography, history does not belong to us but that we belong to it. After all, someone once said, “What I like about black and white photographs is that they’re more like reading the book than seeing the movie” and already in the books, my grandfather, Armand Arzrouni will always be remembered for having loved what he did, and being loved for it in return.
