[PHOTOGRAPHY / THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF TURKEY / FIRST ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF IZMIT] Six original gelatine silver photographs of the Kemalists (Nationalists) executed by the occupying British firing squad...

MAVIYAN, MARDIROS (Armenian photographer).

COMPLETE TITLE: [PHOTOGRAPHY / THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF TURKEY / FIRST ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF IZMIT] Six original gelatine silver photographs of the Kemalists (Nationalists) executed by the occupying British firing squad (the Gordon Highlander Regiment in August 1920) in Ismidt (Izmit) Shipyard, taken by the first Armenian photographer of Ismidt (Izmit), Mardiros Maviyan.

Six original gelatine silver prints. Two have the photographer’s name on the bottom right corner as “Ismidt Photographist Mavian”. 9x14 cm. All very good tones and clear photos in near fine conditions.

Extremely rare and historically significant six original gelatine silver photographs of the Kemalists executed by the occupying British firing squad (the Gordon Highlander Regiment in August 1920) in Ismidt (Izmit) Shipyard, taken by the first Armenian photographer of Ismidt (Izmit), Mardiros Mavyan (Mavian-Maviyan).

Photos show the tragic views in Izmit Shipyard, of Kemalists, blindfolded and made to sit against the large walls of the shipyard, while sacks were placed behind them to prevent bullets from ricocheting, and during the execution by shooting by the British forces under the command of Gordon Highlander Regiment in August 1920. On the lower left corners of two photos, printed captions “Ismid Photographist Maviyan”. 

Mardros Mavian was from the Armenians of Armash, and he established a printing house in Akmese in 1860 to print the books and documents of the monastery and continued these activities until 1892. About twenty-five Armenian titles were also printed in the monastery at Armash, near the town of Izmit, between 1863 and 1892, and seven titles in Adapazari in 1911-1914. He transferred his activities to Central Izmit in 1893. The lithography printing house on Izmit Hamidiye Street later became the governorship building. As the earliest photographer of Izmit Sandjak with Makinistian, Mavian was famous for his photographs of the occupation of Izmit and the Kemalists being shot in the Shipyard by the British forces. (Özendes).

THE OCCUPATION OF IZMIT BY THE BRITISH ARMY:

242nd Brigade (242 Bde) was an infantry formation composed of British and Indian troops, which served in Turkey during the Occupation of Constantinople after World War I. 242 Brigade was formed around Izmit, about 100 km east of Constantinople, on 30 March 1920 by General Headquarters of the British Army of Occupation. Under the command of Brigadier-General F.S. Montague-Bates,[1] 242 Bde initially comprised three Indian Army battalions, with a proportion of British Army support troops, all drawn from the 28th Division, which was serving in Turkey at the time; a British infantry battalion (1st Gordon Highlanders, from the Army of Occupation in Germany) was soon added. The brigade was formally attached to the 28th Division from 6 June to 15 September 1920. On 13 July the 20th Hussars took part in one of the last mounted actions by British cavalry, during an operation against Turkish nationalists. 

In August Major-General Edmund Ironside took over command of the troops in the Izmit area (which became 'Ironside Force'). When Montague-Bates authorized a sortie over the river Sakarya to protect his perimeter against attacks by Nationalist Turks, Ironside reprimanded him. One of Montague-Bates' staff reported that the two generals 'had heated words' and 'When Brigadier Bates came out of the meeting, he was white with rage, said good-bye, and having collected his belongings left with hardly a word'. Montague-Bates returned to Constantinople and was sent home. He was replaced in command of 242 Bde by Brigadier-General H.A.V. Cummins. In September 1920 the Greek Army took over the Izmit Front, which allowed the British Army of Occupation to be reduced. 242 Brigade was disbanded on 3 October and the troops dispersed, most of them joining the 84th Brigade of the 28th Division at Haydarpasa.