[Body painting in the Andaman Islands.] Head of an Andamanese painted with Tála-óg. And a smear of Koiób on the nose and upper lip. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Curved line of diamond shapes in white along the side of face.
When suffering from any chest or lung disease an Andamanese will tie a band of human bones round his chest, stuffing between the band and the skin certain leaves...to which medicinal virtues are supposed to be attached. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
For three or more he [an Andaman Islander] would use the third finger, and also the remaining fingers of the other hand, saying 'another', 'many', &c. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Head and shoulders portrait.
[Making the pig arrow, Andaman Islands.] The last operation in the making of a pig arrow is, the coating of it with a thick prepared red wax, 'Kagnata-Buj'. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Showing seated worker applying the wax to the arrow head. Caption continues: 'This is put on hot, smoothed and worked with a hot Cyrena shell, as shown, and then heated again that in the final cooling it may retain a polish.'
[Adze making, Andaman Islands.] A piece of iron having been chosen as a blade for the new adze, it is laid on one stone and pounded into shape with another, a long and tedious proceeding, as heat is never used by the Andamanese in working iron. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Ninth stage in the manufacture of the adze.
[View of an Andamanese village.] Back view of a village, from the sea shore. It will be noticed that the huts all face inwards, and only the backs are visible. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
A widow would have the whole of her head plastered over with a thick coating of Déla over which a wash of óg would be put, as shown, the hair growing underneath it. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Head and shoulders portrait.
The chest and stomach of a man of the South Andaman group of tribes, showing the pattern of tattooing, or scarifying, common to this group. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography close-up of torso.
The arm of a man of the North Andaman group of tribes, showing parallel lines of tattooing [scarification] encircling the arm. These marks are cut with the blade of a pig arrow. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Close-up of arm. Caption continues: 'Before iron was easily procurable by the Andamanese, the blades of these arrows were made of a red stone, also of a tertiary sandstone (a form of jasper), found in these islands. This remark only applies to the North Andaman...
The tattooed [scarified] arm of a man of the North Andaman group of tribes, showing a combination of circles and zigzags. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Close-up of upper arm.