I handed the pictures to SAVAK

Derived from “The Royal Photographer: Oral History of Mohammad Ali Davari”

Yousef Nikfam [1]
Translated by: Natalie Haghverdian

2015-10-21

Farmland deed distribution in Dah Pool Shazand. Induction of Governmental Authorities of Arak to the Shah by Jalil Naseh, Governor of Arak

Mohammad Ali Davir is a veteran highly skilled photographer in Arak. He was interested in photography since adolescence and with his skills and creativity has had an effective role in promoting this industry in Arak. He turned his back to his class where land owners depended on their power to seek bless and happiness; he travelled to Arak with nothing and was amazed with the char of secretive world of pictures and he crawled to the corners of photographers and darkrooms to print faces when he realized that in this transitory world only photographs are left behind.

Photographs taken by Mohammad Ali Davari have a critical role in photographic history of Arak. He is the first photographer who used flash and he is the first who documented incidents and events and accidents in his city. Pictures printed on fabric, metal and other materials are proof of his creativity and art to create new visual effects.

He is the master of portrait which is one of the most complicated fieldos of photography. Pose of sitting, standing, figure and position of the individuals while documenting his picture are very important in this field of photography. Any minor deviation ruins the picture. Right light, angle, calculated frame present an artistic portrait. In Davari’s portraits we see that every aspect is accurately set and this is proof of his perfectionism. He never thought of taking random pictures and then modify them.

- Which one of Shah’s trips did you photograph?

Second trip of Shah for land reform. His companions travelled by train. Shah travelled by air to the airport of Arak. In land reform process they took our lands as well and gave it to the farmers.

- Where did you join Shah?

I was there when he walked down the stairs from the airplane to the end of the event.

- Did you have an assistant?

No. I was working alone.

- Where did Shah go from the airport?

He went to a small hotel in the industrial city to rest. During that time I took few pictures.

- Who were his companions?

Minister of Agriculture, Hassan Arsanjani and Governor of Arak, Jalil Naseh. In Dah Pool they had made a triumphal arch. The temperature was high. Arsanjani was a frank character and he would remind Shah that some people are lying and they don’t report accurately. Once he stepped on my foot but he wouldn’t care so I said: “Sir, this is a human’s foot you’ve stepped on.” He laughed. He joked.

- Where else did Shah go?

Shah flew by helicopter from the airport to Deh Pool Shazand, and welcomed. Rural communities had gathered there and Shah gave them their deeds. I took pictures. At the end of the event, Shah wanted to board the chopper that the pilot said the weather is inclement ad they can’t take off. The pilot was a sergeant. Shah sat in a black car and I took pictures. Ten minutes later they were good to go. Shah boarded the chopper and we travelled back to Arak and to the airport. [2]

- Empress Farah was not with Shah, was she?

No. She wasn’t.

- This is Shah’s second trip. What did you do with the pictures?

I handed them to SAVAK in Arak.

- Have you ever formally been a reporter?

No. I have never formally been a reporter. I used to take pictures as a freelancer and gave the photographs to the newspapers.

- Did you photograph other visits of Shah?

Yes. I photographed other trips as well when the Shah was visiting automotive and aluminum industries and Qods hospital in Arak.

- Shah, in his visit in summer of 1972 invited by Dr. Ali Akbar Bahadori, opened Qods hospital in Arak.

Dr. Ali Bahadori [3] was executed. The verdict came from Tehran. His property was confiscated. He didn’t have much. He didn’t own Qods hospital; it belonged to his aunt Qods Olsaltaneh Bayat. My sister in law (brother’s wife) is from Bayat family. My aunt (wife of my mother’s brother) is as well Eshrat Bayat. Marriage among feudalists was customary. My parents were cousins. Dr. Bahadori was known as Ali Akbar Khan. Then, he wasn’t a doctor yet. Once he visited my uncle – my uncle died in Germany- who lived in Se Rah Zendan. I was there and it was Ramadan and I was fasting and he grabbed me and joking and laughing he forced me to eat something. He had passed medical university entrance exam and he said that he had to enroll till next day but he was short 450 Tomans. Relatives gave him money and Ali Akbar managed to enroll. Doctor Bahadori asked his aunt to donate her land to build a hospital. She did it and Ali Akbar built the hospital. I took pictures from the first day of construction till inauguration. The doctor brought expert surgeons from Tehran. Dr. Ashtari was a good doctor working there. It had a good ophthalmological ward as well. Mosharafizadeh was a good surgeon. Its maternity ward was delivering high quality services.

- How did Shah treat you and others?

…I was a stranger to him…there were other photographers with him. Shahla and Homa Houses of Photography accompanied him from Tehran. I was the only one from Arak. I managed to build a network with others.

- Did they document the incidents on films?

Yes. A crew was there from Tehran filming for National Television.

- You might be on those films?

Yes.

[1] Author and scholar of oral history and author of 9 books on Arak including “Tanz Avaran Arak” (Comic Afferent of Arak), “Oral History of the Islamic Revolution in Arak”, Memories of mutiny” (some aspects of Taghi Maki Nejad’s life who was one of the fifty three members of Tudeh Party in Iran), Universe Turns Reverse (Oral History of Mohammad Hossein Jamalzadeh), Dastan (Hands) (Story writing in Markazi Province), Phaeton (Fight between phaeton Zabih and Hassan Rahmati in Arak) etc.

[2] Second visit of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to Arak, September 15, 1962. In this visit Assaollah Alam, Prime Minister, Hassan Arsanjani, Minister of Agriculture and a number of authorities including Jalil Naseh, Governor of Arak, Chairman of Arak City Council, Director of Electricity Organization in Arak and Directors of Governmental Administrations accompanied him. He entered Arak at 11:00 on September 15, 1962 with his private jet and in Deh Pool Shazand donated land deeds to the farmers. First, Jalil Naseh presented a brief report. Then Shah passed through the front line of those who were gathered to welcome him and then Hassan Arsanjani, Minister of Agriculture presented his report. Then Shah, distributed the deeds and lectured. His brief trip to Arak was over then and at 12:00 he leaves Arak to Tehran. Shah landed at 1:45 in Tehran.

[3] Akbar Bahadori, son of Issa Khan (painter) was born in 1921. He studied primary and secondary school in Tehran and became a cadet and also studied at medical university. He first established Bahadori clinic which was a small hospital in Tehran and then in collaboration with Borzouyeh Medical Group set up Qods hospital in Arak. He was candidate by Rastakhiz Party in the Parliament and won the election with 27837 votes. At the beginning of his tenure he bought a piece of land in Molasadra area in Tehran which he intended to establish a vastly equipped hospital. Establishment of the hospital coincided with Revolution and Bahadori was imprisoned accused of opposition. His relatives tried to save him. Ms. Batul Bayat, wife of brigadier Nasser Mojalali, Chief of Police, pleaded to Imam Khomeini and expressed the services he had done. However the court ruled him as traitor and sentenced to death and his property to be confiscated. The sentence was carried out in spring of 1979. Social History of Arak, Vol. 1, p 351.