Latif al-Ani

Latif al-Ani was an Iraqi photographer, often known as "the father of Iraqi photography" and noted for his photographic works that combine both ancient and modern themes. During his active career from the 1950s through to the late 1970s, he chronicled an Iraqi way of life that was rapidly being lost as the country embarked on a modernization program. He documented people, ancient monuments and many facets of urban life in Iraq. He stopped taking photographs following the rise of Saddam Hussein, as he was unable to maintain his former optimistic outlook for Iraq's future.

— Source: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA).