IDNO

P.85698.ACH2

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.283.ACH1: “Sickness removing.”

An Aboriginal doctor treating a patient for rheumatism. The ceremony consists of an older male doctor facing a man standing with his head and body covered with a possum blanket, a woman sitting on the ground placing climbing plants onto glowing coals and a woman wrapped in a cloak standing behind. The patient leans over the fire and gathers the smoke with his spear and blanket while the doctor mumbles incomprehensible things. To the left is a group of spectators watching on. [JD 23/8/2007] [WV 7/4/2009]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Victoria; Darling River; Murray River

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Muetzel, Gustav [Artist]

Collector / Expedition

von Blandowski, William [Blandowski Expedition to the Lower Murray River, 1857]

Date

1862

Collection Name

Haddon Collection

Source

?Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.85635. to P.85723. were tied together in a bundle.

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 193. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Sickness removing”. [JD 23/8/2007]

Bibliographical Reference: For discussion of authorship see: Allen, H. 2006. Authorship and ownership in Blandowski's Australien in 142 Photographischen Abbildungen. Australasian Historical Archaeology 24:31-37. [Jane Lydon, Monash University, 8/7/2009]

CUMAA Exhibition: P.84112.ACH2 to P.85713.ACH2 were on display in the SSL as part of the Brook Andrew ‘The Island’ Exhibition, 24th June - 27th September 2008. [JD 25/6/2008]

Publication: Blandowski, W. 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen Ahbildungen. Gustav Neumann, Gleiwicz. Edited by Harry Alien. Translated from the German by Lillian Barton. Translation Copyright: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2007. with the caption:
“116. People with rheumatism are cured in the following manner: climbing plants are laid onto glowing coals, the patient, wrapped in a possum blanket, leans over it with his spear and the blanket gathers the smoke while the doctor mumbles incomprehensible things while making unfathomable facial expressions. The crowd is silent and watches devoutly. These treatments happen mostly when the moon is waning or waxing and always in windless dark nights. Drawn by G. Mützel.” [WV 6/4/2009]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 23/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Aboriginal Visual Histories Project, Monash University. [Wonu Veys 7/4/2009]