Manufacture of Fabrics in Old Sebastia

We present to your attention a photo from the collection of Armen Marsoobian. This photo was taken by the photo studio “Dildilian” in 1910 in Western Armenia in the city of Marzavan or Merzifon located in Sebastia in the province of Amasia. The photo shows a normal business day in the fabric manufacturing workshop belonging to one Armenian family.

Armen Marsoobian, a professor of philosophy and head of the philosophy department at the State University of Southern Connecticut in the US, is the grandson of Tsolak Dildilian, a renowned photographer from Marzvan. A photo studio founded by the Dildilian brothers back in the days began active work in Sebastia.

From his grandfather and his brothers, Armen Marsoobian inherited unpublished memoirs and a large number of photographs, a small part of which he presented in his book “Fragments of a Lost Homeland: Remembering Armenia.” In addition, Marsoobian now organizes photo exhibitions and lectures around the world, presenting the life and traditions of Armenians in Western Armenia at the beginning of the 20th century.

Ruben Shukhyan