IDNO

P.795.ACH1

Description

On Catalogue Card: “Woman, side view, Tud.”

Group portrait of four Tudu women and one infant dressed in traditional clothing and standing side on to the camera. The elderly women on either side have their earlobes cut in the customary manner, and wear long banana leaf skirts, under which are petticoats of cloth. The one on the left wears a dibidibi (shell neck ornament) and one of the infants sits at her feet. The two women in the centre are probably both teenagers; they are dressed in the same manner as the older women. The one to the left wears a dibidibi. [Jude Philp 2/3/1999, updated JD 7/5/2011]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Torres Strait; Tudu [Warrior Island]

Cultural Affliation

Torres Strait Islander

Named Person

Photographer

Haddon, Alfred Cort

Collector / Expedition

Haddon, Alfred Cort [Torres Strait, 1888 - 1889]

Date

28 - 30 October 1888

Collection Name

Mounted Haddon CollectionTorres Strait Island Expedition

Source

Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Archive: Image listed on Dr McNab’s list of Haddon’s 1888 photographs (OA2/16/17), as ‘123 Tud Women side view’.

Related Archive: Haddon writes of his first visit to Maino’s village on Tud on the 14th August 1888, “After passing the north of the lagoon we came to the King’s village. After a little persuasion we induced them to get up a koppa-koppa or native dance for us. Being my first sight of one I was naturally much interest but there were too few people & it was too hurriedly arranged for it to be very successful. 2 men & about 8 women & girls danced – we had great difficulty in getting them to take off the receptive garbs of civilisation - wh. we know to be (mistakenly) donned in my honour for before we reached the village the chief sent a man on in advance as he subsequently admitted, to tell the women to put on the calico gowns. Admid much chattering & laughing they substituted a coloured girdle – and a wrap-round the chest for the long loose gown – or one piece of calico served the double purpose. At least one woman put on a grass petticoat beneath.” (1888, p.10)
It more likely that HAddon took this series of portraits between 28 - 30th October, when he writes; “Maino was very pleased to see me & I him & I spent the greater part of the three days I was there with him at his camp.” (1888, p.64) [JD 17/5/2011]

Context: Haddon probably pursuaded these women to remove their missionary dresses for this photograph. His visits to Tudu are mentioned in his Journal (1888: 9-12 [Aug. 14]; 63-66 [Oct 26-30] . [Jude Philp, 2/1998 - 3/2000]