I'd mentioned that some of Donald G. Schnabel's photos appear to be taken while in a car. These two look as if they were drive by shots. There's always something about taking photos of "native" people that almost feels like watching an animal in their habitat. I don't care where you are, it could be midtown Manhattan, if you're taking photos of other people's lives you're an observer of something outside your norm, especially if you don't interact with them. If it's in a foreign country where the customs don't mirror what you are used to I think you're even more removed from your subjects. Thus the reason on several of Donald's photos the captions read "native" when identifying the subject. I don't think it's inherently bad to use the word, but it does feel awkward, even though accurate.
Each of the following shots were captioned "native house." Were they taken while the car was moving or did he stop and shoot these out the car window then drive off? I think if you've done much traveling you've probably done it yourself.
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I'm just glad this isn't "my house".
ReplyDeleteIndeed. It reminds me of the first time I drove through El Paso and looked across the border to Juarez. The poverty, the cardboard structures, on the other side stunned me. It's too easy to forget how other people live when we're wrapped up in our own lives.
DeleteI don't know about Bahrain in the fifties, but it has been fairly common, throughout history, for insular societies to keep visitors apart from the general population. The Thornburgs might have lived on an island, and Mr. Schnabel might have taken photos from a car because they weren't allowed to wander around at will.
ReplyDeleteThat could be. He was most likely there on business and there is one photo of his driver. He saw what they wanted him to see.
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