Aida Studio was founded in the 1920s in Alexandria by K. Artinian, about whom we have no reliable biographical information. The photographs made by the studio are ordinary portraits of individuals, family groups and large collectives. Judging from a number of captioned images, Artinian had close ties with the Armenian community in Alexandria and regularly photographed Armenian cultural events and assemblies. Albeit routine, these photographs are very interesting for historiographical studies of Egypt’s Armenian communities. No relation between Artinian and the famous Cairo-based photographer Arakel Artinian has been discovered.

Vigen Galstyan, 2018