A Tour of Persia: Rare 1969 GQ Photos Show American Models Exploring, Fashion and Life
Shiraz: The Cultural Setting of the Final Photograph
Among the locations associated with the feature, Shiraz is particularly significant.
Shiraz has long been regarded as one of Iran’s major cultural centers.
It is associated with poets such as Hafez and Saadi, historic gardens, Persian literature and the ancient heritage of Fars Province.
The city is also one of the most important gateways to some of Iran’s best-known historical sites.
The final photograph described from the feature shows the two American models in Eram Garden, one of Shiraz’s most famous Persian gardens.
Eram Garden is part of the long Persian tradition of garden design.
Persian gardens are characterized by carefully organized relationships between water, vegetation, pathways, architecture and enclosed space. Their design tradition has had an important influence on garden architecture well beyond Iran.
The setting makes the photograph particularly memorable.
The models are wearing contemporary Western clothing while surrounded by a landscape representing centuries of Persian cultural history.
The visual contrast is immediate.
On one side is international fashion.
On the other is Iranian architectural and garden heritage.
Together, they create a visual representation of Iran as both ancient and modern.
Eram Garden and the Visual Language of Persian Gardens
The choice of Eram Garden was especially appropriate for a fashion photograph.
Gardens have always played an important role in Persian culture.
The Persian word pardis, associated with an enclosed garden or paradise, ultimately contributed to the concept of “paradise” in several European languages.
The garden tradition developed around the idea of creating an ordered, cultivated environment in contrast to the surrounding landscape.
Water played an especially important role.
Channels, pools and fountains could create reflections, movement and symmetry.
For photography, these elements provide natural compositional tools.
A model can be framed against trees.
A pathway can create depth.
Water can reflect architecture.
A pavilion can provide a strong background.
The setting therefore functions almost like a natural studio.
In the GQ photographs, the contrast between the structured garden and the contemporary clothing creates an unusually elegant visual composition.
September 20, 2026 | 6:27 pm
