Uzbekistan tea shop – Photographer Max Penson
Born in Belarus in 1893, Max Penson moved to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in the 1920’s. He was initially employed as an an art teacher in Kokand but moved to photography after acquiring his first camera in the early 20’s. He eventually became a photojournalist noted for his photographs of Uzbekistan, where he visually documented the economic and cultural transformation of Uzbekistan from a highly traditional feudal society, into a modern Soviet republic between 1920 and 1940.
His remarkable images include the establishment of collective farms, irrigation of arid lands, development of the paper industry and silk production, introduction of cotton growing, liberation of women and their entry into the workforce, and the education of children. Penson recorded these historical changes and contributed regularly to the Soviet TASS agency. He also worked for Central Asia’s largest newspaper, Pravda Vostoka, in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991
White porcelain statue decoration
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan industrialization
‘Three girls’ – Max Penson
Water irrigator (Mirab)
Uzbek metal artist
Uzbek painter with her art
Max Penson – ‘Farhadstroy’
Pearson documented the construction of the 270-kilometers long Grand Fergana Canal, which was built by hand by 160,000 people with a Pharonic scale of production in only forty five days.
Max Penson — ‘In the garden in front of the Palace of Pioneers’
Max Penson
Large Uzbekistan pots used for wine production?
Max Penson—Uzbek athlete
Mirab irrigator — Max Penson
Two girls at a party – Max Penson
Uzbek street musician — photo Max Penson
Background mountains – Max Penson
‘Narrator’ – Max Penson photo
Sculptor Khaidarov at work – Max Penson
Bas relief of Shota Rustaveli — photo Max Penson
Couple on a motorcycle – Max Penson
Pottery vase decoration by Max Penson
‘Gymnasts’ — Max Penson
‘In field’ — Max Penson
‘In the Garden’ — Max Pearson
Kanatahodets (Darvaz) Photographer-Max-Penson
Traditional Karnay trumpeters stirring the workers – Max Penson
‘Kids on the carousel’ – Max Penson
Sculptor Krasovsky—Max Penson
Max Penson wearing traditional garb
Max Penson—farm tractor in field
‘On the Red Square’ — Max Penson
On the set of ‘Khoja Nasretdinov’ – Max Penson
‘On the Street’ – Max Penwson
Uzbek tea break – Max Penson
Uzbek Plowman – Max Penson
‘Rhythms’ — Max Penson
‘Sands of the desert’ — Max Penson
‘Sower’ — Max Penson
‘Steelworker’ — Max Penson
‘Tamara Khanum’ — photo by Max Penson
Garden tea house – Max Penson
‘Three’ — Max Penson
Uzbek girl with national bread on a tray—Max Penson
‘Two dancers’ – Max Penson
‘Two old men’ — Max Penson
Uzbek female performers
Field worker – Max Penson
Max Penson— ‘Uzbek Scholar’
Tajik girl playing dutar
1899, Russian Empire
Ancient structures of Uzbekistan restored to their former magnificence
The oldest standing medressa in Central Asia, which served as the model for all others, is the Ulugbek medressa, The Kalon Minaret was built in 1147, and reaches 47 metres high.
Lights burned in the tower at night to guide the camel trains on the Silk Road to its location.
Mosaic corner pillar at Tamerlane mosque, in the town of Shakhrisabz
Uzbekistan
Shakhrisabz mosaic decoration
Samarkand Sher Dor medressa turquoise fluted dome
Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, Samarkand
Rich mosaic tiles at Shohi Zinda,, Samarkand
Shohi Zinda rich mosaic wall panel, Samarkand
Tilla-Kari Medressa (Islamist school), Registan, Samarkand
Ceramic wall decoration – Samarkand
Samarkand mosque
Samakand mausoleum, Uzbekistan
Tilla Kori Madrasah, Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Tillya Kori medressas – Ragistan
Kalta Mino minaret, a squat turquoise tiled structure
Khiva, Uzbekistan
Madrassa Nadir Divan-Beghi, Bukhara
Uzbelistan
Hoji Nasruddin,- a ‘wise fool’ from Sufi storytelling
Shohi Zinda tiled facade–Samarkand
Amir Temur Square – Tashkent
Rich turquoise and blues of Uzbek ceramics plates
Bodomzor Station in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – the first Underground Station in Central Asia
1 Comment
Thank you! Wonderful photographs. Such clarity…communicating on all levels. “A good image says more than a thousand words”