Thursday, November 14, 2013

Eternalised delight

At first glance this is a photograph of happiness - of people at play. Yet, I find it incredibly poignant.

Bondi Beach, Sydney 1890s. For more pictures see the State Library of NSW's Lost Sydney Facebook page

The little girl sixth from the bottom left has hoisted up her dress for a paddle and is thrilled and excited about her day at the beach. But it's all so long, long ago. The dunes are paved now. There are cafes and apartments and hotels, and there's been a Boer War, First World War, so much since. Which of these did her happiness live through?

In the same way I can stare for ages at that photograph of the two Arrernte women Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer took in Central Australia in 1901. It's reproduced here:   

 http://www.mabonativetitle.com/info/ArrenteWomenBaby.htm

Of course, I need to attach the customary warning that aboriginal people may see images of deceased relatives. But that only heightens my own sense of poignancy.

Somehow Spencer captured the exact moment of giggling. It 'sounds' from the frame. I can hear it as if I were wandering past these women today. But more than that. I think of Professor Spencer professing a Darwinian superiority about aboriginal people (and their prospects). It colours my attitude toward him. And yet, the 'Prof' was able to evince a photograph like this (the one of the Arrernte women) in the stuffy Victorian age.



If you liked this blog, others of mine touching on Central Australia are:


Victory over death and despair in a bygone age (thoughts on John Strehlow's The Tale of Frieda Keysser), 5 Nov 2012
@  http://gordonkaltonwilliams.blogspot.com/2012/11/victory-over-death-and-despair-in.html

Ah, Nathanael - another note on The Tale of Frieda Keysser, 29 Nov 2012
http://gordonkaltonwilliams.blogspot.com/2012/11/ah-nathanael-another-note-on-tale-of.html

Drowned man in dry creekbed - Happy New Year 1993, 6 Aug 2012
http://gordonkaltonwilliams.blogspot.com/2012/08/happy-new-year-drowned-man-in-dry-creek.html

Considering the aboriginal land of Altjira, 20 May 2012
@ http://gordonkaltonwilliams.blogspot.com/2012/05/considering-land-of-altjira.html

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