Anthropology Day, Part 1 - Comparative Studies

Our two part series today is on the theme of early day anthropological photographs.  In part one, we will look at some comparative studies that for the most part show at least a good try at a scientific effort.  Above we had an image from a set done in the 1880s by Napoleon's nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte, showing Hottentots.  Prince Roland was recognized as a legitimate scientist who published papers that were considered quite erudite and even groundbreaking.

 

German

Not being a single country until 1871, the Germans got into the business of acquiring colonies late in the game.  By 1900 they were in what is now Namibia, Tanzania, Cameroon, Togoland, and the Southwest Pacific.  The image above came to me labeled "German Colonial" with no specific location.  Google Images Search was no help, but I'm guessing this one is Pacific.

 

Portman, 1890s

British colonial official M.V. Portman became somewhat notorious after he took hundreds of nude photos of Andaman Island indigenous people, mostly men in the 1890s.  The bulk of those photos were like those above and immediately below in that they had some legitimate scientific elements.  (The grid was an effective size standardization method used by others as well.)  The problem was that Portman also staged his subjects in fanciful romantic scenes that were in some cases sexually suggestive.  There were also rumors that the sex was more than just suggested.  The image at the bottom of this group of three was one of the more benign of that second type.

 

Sami

Not all of the anthropometric photos were made of non-Europeans.  This is Lars Nilsen Hotti, 

a Sami (Laplander) man who was photographed in 1880 by Paolo Mantegazza and Carlo Sommier.

 

South Africa, 1870

Captain J.E. Parish of the Royal Navy took these photo of a South African man in 1870.

I'm not exactly sure how the tape measure was used, but at least we know 

that some metric was involved and not just prurient interest.

 

Anthropology Day, Part 2 - Assorted

Part two of our anthropological series has an assortment of photos with varying 

degrees of scientific merit.  This one is by Bernard Dernburg who made a trip 

to German East Africa, now Tanzania, in the early 20th Century.

 

Papua New Guinea

J.P. de Vertenil photographed these Papua New Guinea men in 1919 and described them as cannibals.  The way some of them are looking back at him tends to suipport that assertion.

 

Samoan Tattoos

The man above is a Samoan who was photographed in 1900.  Below is a chart showing the traditioal Samoan tattooing patterns, front and back.  Below that is a 1985 picture of a Samoan man who resided in New Zealand at the time.

 

Peru

This photo was made in the Amazonian region of Peru in 1920.

 

Dinka Man with Pipe

Our last tribal themed photo is a Dinka tribesman from Central Africa 

as photographed by Adolf Bernatzik ca. 1920.

 

Locker Room Day

 Today we visit that inner sanctum of the sporting world, the locker room.

We start with two guys using spray deodorant with a bored looking friend sitting nearby.

Dodgers

These are the Brooklyn Dodgers, year unknown, to me anyway.

 

Rocky

Rocky Graziano is being tended to in a photo by Stanley Kubrick.

 

Different view

This one is interesting in that there is a different version made the same day with players at the left displaying their jewels instead of the guy at the right. The team was Harvard. 

Joy in Cleveland

Here we have Bob Lemon and Gene Reardon celebrating a win with a smooch.

 

Peekaboo I

We get a tantalizing glimpse of some low hangers in this one.  Closer look below.

 

Grab

 This looks like someone grabbed it from a film or video.  And speaking of grabbing . . . 

British

I think these are 1970s British footballers.  A few years ago I posted 

a different view of these guys from the same photo session.

 

Boxer briefs

Apparently they had boxer briefs (or something similar) in the 1950s.

 

Peekaboo II

This is another from the LIFE Archive, and we get a peekaboo crotch view 

of a fellow who looks like he might have been a coach or manager.

 

Eyes right

 The interesting part is the beefy behind at far right.  Can you imagine modern professional athletes 

in a locker room that basic?  Things have changed in sports, and not for the better.

A viewer favorite

This is a repeat post from March, 2019.  The man at center is Dell Crandall of the Braves,

but I have never found out the names of the other two players.  Anyone?

 

Finns in World War II

As many of you know, I have the great pleasure of having worked and become friends with six men from Finnland, so I'm always happy to post a series on their soldiers in the Second World War.  Today's set begins (and will end), appropriately enough, with a sauna photo.

 

Down time

I can't tell what these men are doing, but it looks like a relaxing moment.

 

Boiling pot

At first glance, I thought the naked guy was manning a very large stew pot, but I think he's actually 

doing his laundry.  I have to say that I really like the lighting and composition of this photo.

 

Charming

There's something charming and noble at the same time about this photo of a Finnish officer.

He was fighting for nothing less and nothing more than his country's national survival.

Although they were unwilling allies of the Germans, the Finns rejected Nazi ideology,

as well as Soviet Communism.  It was all about Finland being free and independent.

 

Bucket

Looks like a bucket of water is being handed off to go into the sauna.

 

Nice smile

I love the smile on the guy at left.

Another good one

This is another example of how good the Finnish war photographers could be.

The light, water, steam, and men combine to make a fine image.

 

What's in the water?

 

All but one of these guys is looking at something in the water to our right.

Ski Trooper and Dog

Being a dog lover, I'm prejudiced, but I think this picture of a ski trooper and his dog is beautiful.

 

Cheeky

This cheeky chub and his hilarious plumbing were an all-time favorite on my old tumblr.

How I ever waited this long to post him over here is beyone me.

 

Harvest Time

I don't know if these soldiers were part of an organized program to help farmers

 with the harvest, or if they simply pitched in to help on their own.

 

Old Favorite

Our last photo of the day shows a group of soldiers doing something quintessentially Finnish, 

enjoying a sauna.  It is a repeat from the first set I did on this theme

 after leaving tumblr over five years ago.

 

Herbert Tobias

Today we take another look at the work of German photographer Herbert Tobias.

We start with an untitled work from 1975.

 

1979

All the information I have on this beautifully lighted photo is a date, 1979.

 

The Next Morning

The Next Morning was taken in Hamburg in 1977.

 

1960

The English version of Tobias' title for this 1960 photo is,

"Oh, You Wonderfully Beautiful German Forest."

 

1975

This one from 1975 is called Chaps, and it looks like it 

may have been made at the Piers in New York.

 

Unknown

I find this unknown and undated Tobial portrait to be exceptional.

 

1960?

A usually reliable source says this one was made in 1960,

but the hairstyle and mustache make me think late 60s.

 

Paris 1952

My notes say that this was made in Paris in 1952.

 

Siegfried

This is Siegfried, Hamburg from 1981.

 

1978

Our last Herbert Tobias image of the day is an unknown model holding an apple from 1978.