About

The brothers Haig and Levon Mangoian established Mangoian Bros in 1924. They worked as studio photographers specialising in portraits and outside work producing postcards

» About

Brothers Haig and Levon Mangoian established Mangoian Bros in 1924.

They worked as studio photographers specialising in portraits and outside work producing postcards etc.

They began trading in the late 30s and after the Second World War more emphasis was given to importing and selling – the studio was gradually run down although the outside photographic work continued . The brothers also maintained the largest Black and White photolab on the island at its peak employing 4 lab technicians and printing everything from snapshots to murals.The company Mangoian Bros Ltd was established in 1958.

The photographs in the Mangoian collection were taken between 1920 and 1960 by Haigaz Mangoian (1907-1970) a celebrated Armenian photographer living in Nicosia.

The photographs cover the whole of Cyprus and its people during British colonial rule. Leading through the Mangoian archive, two sentiments predominate; on the one hand, we have the contrast between the two people sharing this beautiful island, the calm life of the British colonialists and the life of the common people of Cyprus; on the other, that sudden feeling of time standing still

Most of the photographs depict a beautiful, virgin island, then a colony. The same island so well described in Lawrence Durell’s “Bitter Lemons” – at this strange time in our history, a time which was destined to indelibly mark the future course of the country. There are photographs of both people and places, of two parallel, yet separate words. In both, we recognise infinite beauty and a perhaps transient serenity, which in hindsight we know did not last for long.

Mangoian Bros is today run by Avo Mangoian (Haigaz’s son), and the shop specialises in modern photographic equipment for TV, Studio, Professional and photographic enthusiasts.

 

the shop specialises in modern photographic equipment for TV, Studio, Professional and photographic enthusiasts.

Avo Mangoian

 

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