Acquired by Major Robert Murdoch Smith from the private collection of a Frenchman living in Iran. He was born Jules Richard [1816-1891], arrived in Tehran in 1844 as a language teacher, converted to Islam taking the name Mirza Riza, was probably the first photographer in Iran and was the interpreter for Nasir al-Din Shah on his visit to Europe in 1873. He was also Murdoch Smith's principal contact with the Court.