Two Armenian girls in the Ottoman Empire, c. 1895

A studio portrait of two Armenian girls. The photograph was taken in the Ottoman Empire around 1895. At that time Armenian families often visited photography studios to preserve family memories.

The girl standing on the left wears traditional dress: a small headdress, an embroidered waistcoat, an apron and a long patterned skirt, with long necklaces hanging from her neck. The younger girl seated on the right wears a light-coloured dress with a lace collar.

According to the source, such costumes had their own features in different regions and were passed down from generation to generation.