With 25 original photographs mounted on leaves, which have descriptive captions in Farsi inked below the images. Most images approx. 19x25 cm (7½x9¾"), a few are smaller. Set loose in portfolio with blue morocco front cover and flaps, blue velvet back cover; front cover titled in gilt with gilt tooled border.

Rare series of original aerial photographs of archaeological excavations and a few towns and cities in Iran. The photographs were taken by, or under the supervision of, German-American archaeologist Erich F. Schmidt, who spent a number of years investigating Iranian sites including Persepolis, a view of which seems to be among the photographs. Erich Schmidt was a pioneer in aerial photography of archaeological sites, especially in Iran. In 1935, Schmidt had to approach Reza Shah Pahlavi directly for permission to fly over the country. One of the photographs is of a map titled "Luristan showing Principal Routes of Aerial Exploration of Joint Persian Expeditions 1935-1936..." The map is centered on the Rumishkan Valley. The remainder of the photographs are aerial views. A number of the photographs were published in Schmidt's 1940 publication "Flights over Ancient Cities of Iran." Two of them are three-dimensional, and each of these has a tinted viewer. The mounts are tied together through punchholes in margins, but most of these are torn at the edge so the plates are loose. Provenance: The family of Erich F. Schmidt.