1950s Saudi royal family through the lens of Shahrokh Hatami
[Photograph album - Saudi Arabian royal family].
Oblong folio (340 x 240 mm). 12 ff. 16 black and white silver gelatin photographs, 3 laid in loosely, 13 mounted in photo corners, 255 x 170 mm and 300 x 200 mm. Contemporary saddle-stitched tan cloth.
€ 2,800.00
A fascinating series of photographs of the Saudi royal family, including King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1906-75) during his time as crown prince and prime minister, and a very young Prince Mashour bin Saud Al Saud (1954-2004), as seen through the lens of the famous Iranian photographer Shahrokh Hatami (1928-2017).
Hatami, particularly known for his striking celebrity photographs of film stars and world leaders, captures the royal family and their residences with a deft touch and artistic eye. The reverse of several prints show Hatami's studio stamp, and three have additional handwritten captions in French. All three captioned photographs are snapshots of the very young Prince Mashour bin Saud: no more than ten years of age, likely about seven, he poses on the hood of his very own 1959 Chrysler Imperial Crown Sedan with a license plate showing the crest of the Al Saud family, the caption explaining that, despite his age, "il possède 4 voitures". Elsewhere, Mashour walks alone and with a minister through well-groomed grounds, captioned, "Mashur et son 1er ministre particulier Fallah". A third shows the young Mashour seated on a sofa, his court seated on the floor in front of him.
Elsewhere, Hatami photographs a crowd of Al Saud family members, relations, and members of Saudi leadership aboard a Lloyd Triestino passenger ship, including scenes of women exiting waiting luxury cars to board the ship, and three candid photographs of Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud onboard. Other snapshots show formal political functions, palace interiors and exteriors, including a line of guards in an opulent hallway and a state dinner, all shot in Hatami's contemplative, elegant style.
Only minor or marginal hints of wear; quite a well-preserved collection.
