The Professional function of photo in the first Pahlavi era (Photography as a means to authenticate and identify Offenders)

From the arrival of the camera to Iran during the Mohammad Shah and especially Nasery era، photography acted as a profession and Royal technic to service Qajar Kings، until the developments of political and social conditions occurred in the Constitutional Revolution، so photographic industry was removed from the monopoly court to the people. Although the evidences show that the generalization of photography and using camera were begun two or three decades before the Constitutional Revolution but the Constitutional Revolution was a the turning point. In spite of generalization of photography in Iran، up to the fourteenth century، photography was not use in professional application and most of them were for memento photo، personal and group portrait. Until attaching photos to passport، birth certificate، academic certificate، the sheet ofidentification of offenders and portrait of staff were forced so portrait of staff became common in culture and society of Iran. This paper attempts to survey documents and historical books in order to reply this question that from which time، the photography in Iran was used to authenticate and identify offenders. Findings from this study indicate that generalization of photography were become common in the late thirteenth century during the Ahmad Shah era and the presence of Swedish officers in City Police and Gendarmerie then in Did you mean: the early fourteenth century and the first Pahlavi era were continued and developed، the period that using official documents were forced so using of portrait of staff were became common in Iran.