Posted by Greg Gilman on December 10, 2001 at 04:00:34:
In Reply to: Unusual Thumbcuffs? posted by Jay on November 25, 2001 at 22:17:49:
All I can advise is standard research footwork to regain the picture you had, and the you'll have to go from there. If you are lucky, you'll remember where you saw the picture, online or in print? Failing remembering the source page online, etc. It could have been the Dali Lama, and would most probably be of him, if so it might be in existence in copy form, in several places related to him. You hopefully know if we are talking about the first Dali Lama who mixed it up with the Chinese, or the second to get the Chinese mixing it up on him hard, that being the Dali Lama who is still living. I don't know my thumbcuffs well, I've seen the Manilla's on the list at this site, Anyhow, I'd go by the photo, based on the correct technical details for one of the two major periods since the invention of photography, and note very carefully anything useful seen in the rest of the photo for identifier's it must be a press photo, almost without doubt it was taken by someone (Probably Chinese) who was allowed to take it, The chances of a non-Chinese taking it at the time of an arrest and getting away with it would be far less likely, but more likely if from the modern times. Now, about the types of Photography available during the early 20th century fighting in Tibet, I would think, in the early phase, nearer to 1900-1910, cameras would have been very rare at all, quite rare for quick onsite journalism, but not impossible to find at all, the photo should, of course, be black and white, probably on, "Albumin," paper, which gives everything a soft yellow sheen, these can be excellently hand colored, if from the early period. ALbumin paper is extremely thin, and as the name sounds, was developed from the "Albumin," in eggs, mixed into a fluid like light sensitive emulsion for sensitising the paper itself. If the photo is from the second period, dates fail me. (?) 1940's & 1950's through to modern times? A color photo would be very likely, and these can be told from even the best hand colored Albumin's by a trained eye. Either period could produce a sharp black and white image. Later black and white films and papers give a different look, again, look for details, no matter how minor that might give away the time of the photo. Earlier cameras often tended to be odd sizes, usually using much larger film and negatives, and therefore larger final Print sizes, when compared to the more modern standard sizes. If you find indications of an original print, printed directly from the original negative, and not cut down, having been larger than 4x5, or of an irregual looking, to us now, longer rectangular print format, that is a sign to question the earlier days. If you find you are looking at what seems to be a very modern, smallish, "Snapshot," typical of many modern photos you posses, or a perfectly square print, made from a 2.25" x 2. 25" square negative. lean more toward the 1940's to the present. Of course you may have seen a photo copied from a much older print, with its shape changed. You may even be looking at a recent digital photograph in a foriegn magazine. WHat strikes me as most probable is this was a Chiese made picure, or a more rare Chinese allowed photo of the Dali Lama, being aressted or moved, or a less offical, slightly more randomly done photo, for propaganda, soldier's "scrap book photo," when the officers weren't looking, or news photo of a less important Lama, being arrested, or moved. A key identifier would be to identify the lama's exact religious organization. There are MANY types of Lama's in Tibet's many types of religious orders. Westerner's tend to call all Tibetans who seem to be at all in HOLY dress, "LAMA'S" even many Tibetan's lump them together as "LAMA'S, You might need something as obscure as "Magic and Mystery in Tibet," by author Alexandra David Neal. I is out of print, but I have it, and it can be got, and it identifies many types of Lama's and their religious grades, according t oho they are dressed, there are "Red Hat," Lamas, and "Yellow Hat," lamas, and she breaks down dozens of lamas by costume, around 1910. The probabilities, from my point of view, are with you having seen the living Dali Lama photographed at some point in his life as an adult, being arrested, in a very unusually violent situation for him to be seen in, and this photo has stayed, "Around," It could be ANY Tibetan, unless you read the word "Lama," or have some reason to beleive the Tibetan was a Lama, and also you were sure he was said to be Tibetan, as there have been many Chinese "Lama," sects, and I cannot help you find much about how they are or are not tolerated now in China. I beleive the Dalai Lama now living still makes his home for most of the year in India (?) I can not think of a reason for his arrested having come up for some time, but I could be wrong. If this stuff interests you, try reading, "Visual Anthropolgy:photography as a research method," by John Collier Jr. and Malcolm Collier., and also, to learn to begin judgint types and ages of original photographs, "Collector's Guide To Early Photography, by O. Henry Mace, just out in the second edition. Good Luck and let me know what you find out!