At the end of the 19th century, Adrianople  or as it is currently known, Edrine, was an important gatekeeper-city on the European edge of the Ottoman Empire. It had a relatively large population comprised of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Bulgarians. As in other Ottoman centers, the photographic business was primarily monopolized by the Greeks and the Armenians one of whom was Aram Bardizian. The only facts about Bardizian are those given by his few remaining photographs. With a studio well furnished with props and backdrops in a Belle-Époque style, the photographer serviced the multi-ethnic local middle classes. Stylishly posed, these portraits provided an image of modern refinement that corresponded with the cosmopolitan aspirations of the Ottoman bourgeoisie. It is not known whether Bardizian’s studio survived the constant military conflicts which raged around Adrianople from World War I until the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

Vigen Galstyan, 2018