IDNO

P.87282.VH

Description

Raphael Tuck & Sons postcard (1924) of Beqa island firewalkers, dressed for the occasion, and walking on the hot stones of a big lovo or pit oven.
Fiji government public relations photograph. [Fergus Clunie, 26/7/2003]

Place

Oceania Polynesia; Fiji; Beqa Island

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd [Publishers]

Collector / Expedition

von Hügel, Anatole (Baron)

Date

circa 1920 - 1924

Collection Name

Von Hugel Collection

Source

Format

Postcard Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.87278.VH to P.87283.VH were in the print envelope now numbered C512/1/. This envelope came from the Museum’s paper archive envelope VH1/4/7, which has now been re-numbered C512/.

Publication: On Rod Ewins’ internet site ‘www.justpacific.com’:
““Firewalkers”.
Tuck’s Post Card. Publisher Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd., Art Publishers to Their majesties the King and Queen”. Unused. No date, but probably around 1920. On the reverse has the caption: “The firewalkers in the native oven on the island of Bega [Beqa], Fiji.”
The island is actually called Beqa (pronounced Mbeng-ga) and firewalking is called vilavilairevo.” [Alex Nadin, 30/9/2003]

Publication: Duplicates of this postcard are on the websites ‘www.janeresture.com/fijihome/postcards.htm’ and
‘www.justpacific.com’ in the section concerning the photographs used on Fijian postcards. [Alex Nadin, 30/9/2003]

Publication: A copy of this postcard is published in Fiji’s Past on Picture Postcards, Elsie Stephenson (1997), fig.246, p.251. [Alex Nadin, 30/9/2003]

Related Image: This print or negative appears to be a unique image within the MAA Photograph Collections. [JD 26/12/2011]

This print has been catalogued with the support of the Getty Grant Program One. [Alex Nadin, 30/9/2003]