ILN 1884/2, 02 — Reception by the Persian Shah
The British Ambassador presents General Lumsden to the Shahinshah of Persia. Standing from l. to r.: Eshik Agashi Bashi, Master of Ceremonies Sir Joseph Dickson, M.D., physician of the British Legation Mr. Jenner, Oriental secretary of the British Legation Mr. Alexander Condie Stephen, 2nd Secretary, Assist. Commissioner ABC Mr. H.L. Churchill, Translator and Vice Consul Mr. W. J. Dickson, Secretary of the British Legation Major-General Sir Peter Stark Lumsden, British Commissioner ABC Sir Ronal...
The Illustrated London News 1884/2, p. 415: description.
Portrait of Nasser al-Din Qajar, Shahinshah of Persia.
The British Ambassador presents General Lumsden to the Shahinshah of Persia.
Standing from l. to r.:
Standing from l. to r.:
- Eshik Agashi Bashi, Master of Ceremonies
- Sir Joseph Dickson, M.D., physician of the British Legation
- Mr. Jenner, Oriental secretary of the British Legation
- Mr. Alexander Condie Stephen, 2nd Secretary, Assist. Commissioner ABC
- Mr. H.L. Churchill, Translator and Vice Consul
- Mr. W. J. Dickson, Secretary of the British Legation
- Major-General Sir Peter Stark Lumsden, British Commissioner ABC
- Sir Ronald Thomson, British Envoy Extraordinary
- H.M. Nasser al-Din Qajar, the Shahinshah of Persia
- Mahmud Khan, Persian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Reception of Sir Peter Lumsden and suite by the Shah, Teheran.
- The Illustrated London News 1884/2, p. 415: description of this engraving.
- William Simpson: Notes and Recollections of my life to my dear daughter Ann Penelope Simpson. Transcript from Acc. 11877 (ii), pp. 230-233, National Library of Scotland.
“Sir Peter made a ceremonial Call upon the Shah, I asked to be allowed to accompany it, and permission had to be given, particularly as I wished to sketch, - this was granted. When we were received I kept behind and slightly in a corner, so that I might see and use my pencil. They all noticed that the eyes of the Shah were upon me during the whole of the interview, - and at the end the interest His Majesty had taken in my doings was shown by his asking to see what I had sketched. This rather took me by surprise, - for the interview had not lasted above ten minutes, and my sketches were of the slightest, - they could not be otherwise in such a short time. – So I asked Sir Ronald to explain that they were only short-hand notes, and that I should finish it all afterwards. The Shah took so much interest in the subject that Sir Ronald told the Shah of a few of the wars I had been in and the travels I had made. The Shah seemed pleased, and gave orders: that I should receive every facility while I was in Tehran, and particularly I was to be given an opportunity of seeing the ceremonies of the Corban Bairam, which would take place in two or three days. – When we retired, all said that my “face had been whitened”, a figurative phrase meaning that I had found favour in the eyes of the “Centre of the Universe”. This interview took place in the Palace of Sultanabad, coffee was not served to us in the Shah’s presence, but we went to another house in the gardens, where this was done. Next morning the Shah sent me his Photograph, - so that I might do justice to his portrait.”
Image No.
ILN 1884/2, 02
Collection
Afghan Boundary Commission 1884-86
Series
ABC 7, ILN Engravings 1884-1885/1
Format
152/234 mm
Place, date
Teheran, September 28, 1884
Descriptors
You know more about this picture?