IDNO

LS.79695.TC1

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.1136.ACH1: "One of the last round houses in Mer and a girl with the old type of fringe skirt."

Biged, a young Meriam woman and wife to Barney, standing next to a round thatch ‘beehive’ house. She is wearing layers of grass/fibre skirts and a necklace and is holding a spear. The entrance to the house is visible and a number of branches and sticks are leaning against the thatch around the house. In the background is a tall bamboo fence and the seashore. [Jude Philp 25/2/1999, updated JD 13/5/2011]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Torres Strait; Mer

Cultural Affliation

Torres Strait Islander

Named Person

Biged (wife of Barney)

Photographer

Haddon, Alfred Cort

Collector / Expedition

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

Date

November 1888 - 5 April 1889

Collection Name

?Teaching Slide Collection

Source

Format

Lantern Slide Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

LS.79666. to LS.79723. were found in the wooden slide box, formerly numbered batch 42, now renumbered C402/.

LS.79693. to LS.79696. were found in the card slide box now numbered C402/5/.

Related Archive: Referenced in notebook titled ‘List of Torres-Straits Photographs. 1888 - 1889. A.C. Haddon’, "2. Beehive hut - girl only. Mer" [JD 20/4/2011]

Named Person: Named Person: Identification from reverse of P.23364.ACH2 "Beehive hut at Las - Mer. Biged = [married to] BARNEY". [Jude Philp 25/2/1999]

Context: At the time of Haddon’s Expedition this pre-colonial style of house was seldom made. The girl is dressed in a pre-colonial style; common dress in 1880’s was a missionary dress. It is probable that Haddon staged this photograph. [Jude Philp 25/2/1999]

Date: Haddon arrived at Mer in late November 1888, and departed 5 April 1889. [Jude Philp 25/2/1999]