Shahrokh Hatami Coco Chanel, ca. 1960

Shahrokh Hatami

Shahrokh Hatami has covered a broad range of high profile subjects as a photographer for nearly half a century, from celebrities, film and fashion, to politics, war, and social change. Born in 1928, Hatami - known primarily by this single professional byline - started as a writer for a major newspaper in Tehran, switching to photography in 1950. He then worked briefly as the Tehran correspondent for the Black Star Agency. Life Magazine published his coverage of the overthrow of democratically elected PM Mohammed Mossadegh and the restoration to power of the Shah in 1953. Twenty-five years later, Hatami shot dramatic images of street fighting during the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79, which overthrew the Shah. His daring coverage of this popular revolution has been acquired by the Library of Congress, an honored privilege for any photographer. Hatami counted among his friends President's Gamal Abdul Nasser and Anwar Sadat, Jordan's King Hussein, and Saudi King Faicsal, along with various other Syrian and Lebanese political figures.