The photographer’s biographical details have not been discovered in the course of our research. The few photographs which give some idea about his Ter-Davtyants’ practice allow us to assume that he was a small-scale operator who mainly served the local population with ordinary carte de visite portraits. His workshop was poorly furnished, with natural, unregulated lighting, few props and a carpet or rug taking the place of professionally painted studio backdrops. As can be seen from available images, many of Ter-Davitiants’ portraits were made in a haphazardly constructed, perhaps a makeshift, travelling studio.

Vigen Galstyan, 2016