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Erich Schmidt’s car en route to Damghan-Tehran at the end of the second sessions, 1933. Photo courtesy of Penn Museum.

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Abdul Ameer, son of Sheik Shalon, wearing his traditional “aba” (long coat) and headgear; Diwaniyah, Iraq, 1931. Photo courtesy of Penn Museum.

‘EXPLORING IRAN’ PHOTOGRAPHS AT UPENN MUSEUM OCT. 2 w/1-2 cuts

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PHILADELPHIA, PENN. — “Exploring Iran: The Photography of Erich F. Schmidt, 1930–1940” will be on view October 2–December 9 at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

In 1931, Penn Museum launched its first archaeological expedition to Iran, to excavate the Bronze Age site of Tepe Hissar. Erich F. Schmidt, a young German World War I veteran and archaeologist, led the expedition and documented it with nearly 2,600 photographs taken by himself and two professional photographers, Russian Boris Dubensky and Pole Stanislaw Niedzwiecki, over ten years.

Their many images depict not only the important Tepe Hissar excavation, but also the desert and mountain people Schmidt’s team encountered along the way and the extraordinary landscapes of the region.

“Exploring Iran” features about 50 photographs selected from Schmidt’s epic collection, complemented by a representative sampling of ancient artifacts, including painted pottery and bronze jewelry, from the Tepe Hissar excavations.

Penn Museum Research Associate Dr Ayse Gursan-Salzmann curated the exhibition, following research and writing of a 2007 Penn Museum publication by the same title.

The museum is at 3260 South Street. For information, www.museum.upenn.edu or 215-898-4000.