[KS] Question on colonial photography

[John Holstein]

While we¡¯re on the subject of photos from around the turn of the
century, I want to take the opportunity to introduce a fine
collection of such, Norm Thorpe, whom most on this list will know,
helped compile the stereograph photos that Australian George Rose
took in 1904. Norm also wrote the Introduction and the informative
extensive notes for each photo. The photos, because they were taken
with a stereoscope, are very clear. The very high quality of the book
makes one imagine that no expense was spared in producing the book.

Get a preview of some of the photos:


http://www.seoulselection.com/newsletter_read.html?nid=115

http://www.seoulselection.com/shopping_book_view.html?pid=435


Korea through Australian eyes 1904, Kyobo Book Centre and The
Australia-Korea Foundation, 2004. 130 pages.

John Holstein
Sungkyunkwan University

--- Pai hyungil <hyungpai at yahoo.co.jp> wrote:
> Dear Mr. Burgeson and members,
> I have also seen such photos taken by Western commercial
> photographers who resided in the foreign port cities in
> Japan. They were taken in Bakumatsu period and they were
> included in a catalogue from the Peabody Museum at Harvard
> University in the mid 1980's.
> I did go to see this exhibition when I was a student but
> thought they were considered "artistic" photos but not
> pornorgraphic. Young women are usually showed in various
> states of undress either lounging around or in front of
> the cosmetic mirror. I believe at this period it is 
> probably a fine-line between art and pornography. 
> But I agree with you there must have been a market for
> these images because it is obvious they were carefully
> staged and some are even colored at commercial photo
> studios. The fact that the Peabody Museum at Salem and
> Harvard own the collections now is indication that they
> were acquired during part of the international
> import/export trading network with the port of Boston port
> and the Far East.
>  When I get back to the U.S.  I will look at this
> catalogue again but I do not believe there was anything in
> the text by the authors about women's bodies and colonial
> desire or gaze. I guess this exhibition happened before
> the proliferation of cultural studies perspectives. 
> 
> --- "J.Scott Burgeson" <jsburgeson at yahoo.com> ¤«¤é¤Î¥á¥Ã
> ?¡¼¥¸¡§
> > 
> > --- Pai hyungil <hyungpai at yahoo.co.jp> wrote:
> > 
> > > In my recent research on photography in the early
> > > colonial era, I have come across quite a few
> > images
> > of Korean women, such as haenyo (diving women) and
> > country women with exposed breasts. 
> > > Was this part of the male photographers'
> > fascination
> > > with the exotic/erotic female? 
> > 
> > 
> > Apparently an underground photographic pornography
> > market also existed in Korea since at least late
> > Choson/late 19th century. Although I have not seen
> > such images myself as they are extremeley rare,
> > collectors describe intentionally sexualized images
> > of
> > topless Korean women (i.e., exposed breasts but not
> > genitalia) posing seated in interior spaces
> > alongside
> > Korean men. It is probable that these images were
> > taken by visiting Japanese photographers aiming for
> > a
> > Japanese or foreign market. Such images are clearly
> > different from those everyday life portraits
> > described
> > above, and were no doubt meant for purposes of
> > "erotic" arousal...
> >  --Scott Bug 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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John Holstein
Sungkyunkwan University
Seoul 110-745, Rep. of Korea
e-mail: jfholstein at yahoo.com
Cell phone: 82-17-727-0264; Office: 822-760-0264; Home: 822-942-7718
Web site "Korea Mosaic": http://koreamosaic.net