Gaziades Anastasios
fotografo
Note biografiche
Anastasios Gaziades played a pivotal role in the history of Greek photography at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. He was born in Constantinople of the Ottoman Empire. Initially he studied at the Pharmaceutical Faculty of Constantinople. He received training in photography before 1880 by the itinerant photographer Georgios Panagiotopoulos, after whose death he migrated to Athens and worked as assistant in the photographic studio of the Rhomaïdès Frères. After acquiring sufficient experience, he left for a second photographic tour and upon his return, in the end of 1887, opened his own photographic studio in Piraeus, first at the junction of 17 Tsamadou and Miaouli Street, and later at Themistokleous Square, where the National Bank of Greece is today, where the National Bank of Greece is today. After 1905 he moved his studio in Athens, at 2 Mitropoleos Street, where the Post Office is today.
Gaziades was an accomplished photographer, who successfully experimented with many aspects of photography. It is worth noting he was a pioneer in advertising and industrial photography. The diploma No. 103 of 12 March 1896 that was issued by the Chamberlain's Office, identified Gaziades as "Photographer of the Royal Family", a title that was superior to "Photographer of the Royal Court", which was given to many a photographer. His reputation as portraitist had spread all over Greece, and even today a number of his photographs can be found in many Greek cities. The location of his studio in Piraeus enabled provincial citizens who were coming to or were passing by the port to be photographed. Aside from his professional work however, Gaziades excelled also as an artistic photographer, partaking often with awards in many international photographic exhibitions.
