'Born criminal' ca. 1890. Collection Lombroso Museum, Turin
General Robley with Maori skulls, c.1870
Woman of Neu Pommern. Photo R. Parkinson, c. 1890
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Photography & Race
This project explores the way scientific research on the human body has been popularized in 19th and early 20st century media. Photography in the context of evolutionism and colonialism played an important role in the representation of human races and cultures.
Scientist like Cesare Lombroso, Francis Galton and Charles Darwin were convinced of the power of photographic images. They used photography as a research tool and they were pioneers in publishing photographic images in their books.
Museums collected and commissioned photography for scientific research. The new mass media took advantage of the curiosity of people
about new insights in the origins of the human race and how exotic people, freaks and 'monsters' were related to this reseacrh. Millions of illustrated books wee sold, in all languages, all over Europe.
These images
are deeply rooted in western culture. They laid the foundation of the (implicit) associations in the Western world about other people and races.
Publication in English:
*Inhabitants of Surinam in Amsterdam. Highly regarded guest or an embarrassing legacy?
In: Foam international photography magazine #18 spring 2009.
Publications in Dutch:
*Zie de Mens - over kijken en bekeken worden.
Uitgeverij AtlasContact, Amsterdam 2014
EXHIBITION: Op het Eerste Gezicht (At First Sight) - Teylers Museum, Haarlem 2014 and Museum dr. Guislain, Gent (B) 2015
*Darwinjaar is ook zaak van antropoloog. In: de Volkskrant 30 december 2009
*Op zoek naar verschillen. Antropometrische fotografie in het licht van rassenonderzoek en Darwin's Evolutieleer. In: De Exotische Mens. Andere culturen als amusement. (catalogus bij de gelijknamige tentoonstelling in het Teylers Museum, Haarlem) Uitgeverij Lannoo, Tielt 2009
Most of the anthropological photographs shown here are published in Zie de Mens.
Yaqui Indians, South America ca. 1890.
Photographer unknown
Ashanti at the Wiener Zoo, 1899. Photo O.Schneider
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Gopal Biliamuk, Australian Aborigene. Port Darwin 1897. Photo P. Foelsche
Horror and Agony
Guillaume-Benjamin Duchenne de Boulogne c.1862
Chief of the Pnihings of Long Kup, Central Borneo, 1899
Photo: Jean Demmeni
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