Centenary of World War I: female photographer captures history at the Caucasus Front

The Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery (usually just referred to as The National Gallery) on Rustaveli Street in Tbilisi is currently displaying the exhibition: ‘The Caucasus Front through Nino Jorjadze’s Camera Lens’ to mark the centenary of World War I. Nino Jorjadze was a female war photographer.

Jorjadze was the first Georgian woman photographer to capture a series of World War I scenes in the region at the Caucasus Front from 1914-1918. During WWI Georgians served in the military of the Russian Empire. For the first time, The National Gallery is exhibiting her photographs, letters, diaries, documents and personal items. There are also photographs of Nino Jorjadze and her family on display, most had to be restored by the Georgian National Museum’s photo-paper conservation laboratory. The Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia has also released a book-album of her work, entitled ‘World War I through the Eyes of a Georgian Woman.’ The photographs are from battles at Sarikamish, Kars, Begli-Akhet, Bitlis, Karakamis, Nazik, Anis, and Selim.

The exhibition is on display from June 17 to July 17, 2015, as part of the global events for the 100th anniversary of World War I.

Nino Jorjadze (1884-1968), was born in Tbilisi to mother, Tamar Bagration-Mukhraneli (1855-1940), and father, Zakhari Jorjadze (1847-1895). She had two brothers, Alexander (1880-1939) and Giorgi (1882-1918). She studied French in Paris before returning to attend a nursing course with the Sister of Charity at the Mikhail Hospital in Tbilisi. In 1914 she volunteered with the International Red Cross as WWI commenced, joining the second advanced detachment. She saw military action with from the very beginning of the conflict. She was awarded the St. George Medal for Bravery in 1915.

The photographs are from archival materials from the private collection of Alexander Bagrationi. Much of the diaries were written in Russian (most were destroyed), but some entries were in French. She took the photographs with her brother Giorgi’s Kodak camera. The collection on display is extensive and exceptionally interesting.

www.museum.ge

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