Long hidden photos from Nassereddin Shah are leaked from Golestan Palace

Jul 5, 2024

More than 3,000 photos taken in the late 19th century under Nassereddin Shah and kept locked in the Golestan Palace for more than a century have appeared on the internet without explanation. No one knows why they have been hidden from the public all this time or why someone took the initiative to post them in early June.

The Golestan Palace, now a museum open to the public, has been criticized in the past for not giving the public access to what was known to be an extensive photographic archive. Nassereddin Shah, who was assassinated in 1895, became fascinated by photography on one of his trips to Europe and bought considerable photographic equipment.

Many of the photos released are assumed to have been taken personally by him, such as the photo at left of his wife in a risque pose. That’s a very calm Nassereddin Shah at right putting up with a European dentist working on his teeth. Many of the released photos came without any captions, feeding speculation about what they may show.