Black and white photograph of Princess Shams of Iran cutting the Shah of Iran's birthday cake, by Charles Gordian Troeller,Tehran, October 1958.

Black and white photograph of the princess, in a white strapless dress, with her back to the viewer, in the middle of cutting a huge cake with the assistance of two men.

Given by John and Juith Hillelson

This photograph was donated by John and Judith Hillelson from their collection and archive of the John Hillelson Picture Agency.

Historical significance: Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was the last Shah of Iran (reg.1941-79) and Charles Gordian Troeller the first photojournalist permitted to photograph the private reception held each year in celebration of the Shah's birthday. This photograph forms part of a series of 24 photographs taken by Troeller during the festivities for the Shah's 39th birthday in 1958. The series is of historical significance as a pictorial record of a now disposed dynasty. Just 5 years prior to these photographs being taken the Shah was forced to flee Iran due to his country being increasingly dogged by political unrest in the aftermath of WWII. Having been quickly escorted back to power by a joint military operation orchestrated by British and American secret services, five years on, in these photographs, the Shah, his family and their courtiers appear to have survived the worst.

Looking at these photographs now, knowing that in 1979 further political unrest would lead to the monarchy's permanent banishment (the Shah died in exile in Egypt in 1980), give these photographs an unsettling quality. The series captures the calm before the real storm.

E.321-2003