Paul Zepdji was “The photographer of Thessaloniki” in de last decades of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century. His photographs which depicted Thessaloniki street scenes and people from all ethnic groups have been reproduced in many 19th century postcards.
Paul Zepdji was Armenian (like many pioneers photographers in the second half of 19th c. in the Ottoman Empire). The name “Paul” is the West European equivalent of the Armenian name “Պողոս” which in the official –eastern– Armenian language is written (and sound) as Poghos, (phon. [poγos]). Zepdji worked with the Armenian Bukmedji in Smyrna, Turkey before coming to Thessaloniki –sometime in the early 1870s where he settled and photographed the people and the city of Thessaloniki for the following decades. His logo appears in photographs until late 1910s with the address from his studio Rue de Vardar (Vardar Street) number 90 , Thessaloniki.
One of his original photographs from 1890s titled “Bulgarian family of Thessaloniki” is in the private collection of the author of this lexicon, purchased from auction house A. Karamitsos, Thessaloniki on 10th July 2020, lot number 8649. This photograph has been reproduced later in several postcards with different description: “Macedonian family from Thessaloniki” and “Greek family from Thessaloniki”.
Source of information: “Paul Zepdji – Thessaloniki” part 1 and 2 by Spiros Alevropoulоs.
