Kamil Chadirji (1897-1968), born to an influential Baghdad family,
played a central role in the political life of lraq as founder and
President of the National Democratic Party. His position allowed him
unique opportunities to take photographs throughout Iraq and other countries in the Middle East. Kamil’s son, Rifat Chadirji (b. 1926), perhaps better known as one of the most
influential Iraqi architects of the 20th century[1],
was also an accomplished photographer, author, teacher, and critic.
Together, their vast collection spans more than 5 decades and contains
ca. 100,000 negatives and images documenting the Middle East, primarily
Iraq.
The collection illustrates
daily life, cultural engagement, and social conditions in the Middle
East from the 1920s – 1970s. This important record also provides a
unique look at the significant transformation of Baghdad’s built
environment over time.
Once on loan to the Arab Image Foundation
(Beirut, Lebanon), the entire collection has been given to the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT through a gift from the Chadirji family. In
2016, while on loan to the Arab Image Foundation and with a grant from
the Graham Foundation, the photography of Rifat Chadirji, in particular,
was highlighted in an exhibition entitled, Every Building in Baghdad: The Rifat Chadirji Archives at the Arab Image Foundation, which opened in Los Angeles, CA early January 2018, before returning to MIT.
On Archnet, the collection is divided into two main sections:
While both collections contain images of people and places,
the Rifat Chadirji collection also contains a collection of photographs that
Rifat Chadirji took of his architectural projects.
As with all archives given to AKDC@MIT Libraries, the collection will
be catalogued, digitized, and made available to scholars, students, and
research via AKDC’s research portal, Archnet, or in person at the Center. For more information, please contact akdc@mit.edu.
Sharon C. Smith, Ph.D.
Program Head, Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT
Cambridge, MA
21 December 2017
[1] Through the generosity of Rifat and Balkis Chadirji, AKDC@MIT also houses the Rifat Chadirji Architecture Archive.