Martin, here is the information I have, the location is supposedly Beirut, lebanon.


Cities Of Beirut & Damascus
Joseph P. Khabbaz, clad in traditional uniform as chief cawas standing under US Consulate General emblem atop gate leading to the embassy where he has worked for 20 yrs.
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Date taken: 1938
Photographer: Margaret Bourke-White
Size: 1002 x 1280 pixels (13.9 x 17.8 inches)

Estcrh, Thank you

RoberyGuy, this facet of sabre suspension is extremely common throughout many societies as it facilitates the draw cut.
The bottom fitting is usually the weight bearing point whilst the upper suspension point positions the hilt to the preferred draw point.

Gavin

Certainly an interesting point Charles and well spotted Charles.

Whilst not of the norm or national dress, I don't find it a surprise though, especially when consideration to the Turkish and Moroccan relationship throughout history.

Gavin

Martin, here is the Royal Geographical Society description for the first image. Those are some massive spears.

Thanks for the GREAT photos.
Rick.

I don't think i've seen this one appear on this thread yet.
These guys look fierce to me. I am especially enamored of that rather princely looking fellow in the center whom i assume might be their leader.
"Gewapende Gajo's"expeditie Veldtocht met overste Van Daalen naar de Bovenlanden van Aceh - 1904

Photos of Greek-identifying insurgent bands in late Ottoman Macedonia. As much of interest for the accountrements (cartridge boxes etc) as the qamas and bichaqs.

Equivalent pics of pro-Bulgarian and pro-Ottoman fighters show a less 'ethnographic' quality, with a greater emphasis on modern German firearms and equipment.

Original source in higher resolution here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...das_Papazoglou

Low-res, but interesting, from the Pitt-Rivers (South) Sudan collections. I hope the formatting works...

1. An assemblage of Shilluk material culture displayed on a table and against a wall, including metal arm ornaments, pipes, shiled, spears, club, leopard skin with cowrie fringe and neck ornament. Richard Buchta, 1877 - 1879.

2. Lango men cutting and straightening spear shafts using a hole in a tree, one of a series of images relating to Lango spear-making. It is likely that this print is a still taken from the cine-film made by Powell-Cotton during a hunting expedition in the Imatong hills. Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton.
Date of Photo:
1933
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Mt. Imatong Lomuleng

3. A large group of Shilluk men in a line brandishing hide shields and spears at a dance gathering. Charles Kingsley Meek
Date of Photo:
1928 circa
Region:
[Southern Sudan] ? Upper Nile

4. A man demonstrating the throwing of a curved throwing weapon with a bulbous end, on the lower slopes of the jebel, rising some 1,000 feet out of the Blue Nile plain, and with a circumference of some five miles. The Seligmans visited this location during their 1910 expedition. [nb we would now call the Gule part of the Funj tribe]

5,6,7. A group of Dinka youths at a funeral dance near Malakal, carrying numerous spears and ambatch parrying shields, and wearing numerous dance ornaments and accessories. Wilfred Patrick Thesiger
Date of Photo:
1939
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Upper Nile Malakal

More. Cool links to spear collection here:

http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/southernsuda...ord=Spear.html

and knives here:

http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/southernsuda...offset=20.html

1. A posed group of five Zande men, three standing and two seated, one on a carved stool playing a harp, the other on a shield. The standing men are all carrying a spear and shield, two wearing grass-woven hats and one wearing a monkey skin in front of his barkcloth. Buchta made an excursion to the groups west of the Nile in 1879 setting out from Juba on 7th July and returning there on 26th August.

2. A man (identified as Sirdal) holding a large hide shield covering his body with two spears behind it, as well as a luin (Arabic, trombash) or throwing stick in his right hand held by his side. Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1926 November - December
Region:
Blue Nile Tabi Hills Baw
Group:
Ingessana (Gaam)

3. A man (identified as Adumfa) holding a large hide shield (with incised decoration) covering his body with two spears behind it, as well as a throwing stick (luin) in his right hand just visible above the shield. Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1926 November - December
Region:
Blue Nile Tabi Hills ?Soda
Group:
Ingessana (Gaam)

4. An arrangement of seven Zande throwing knives, four of which are of the same type, two more being somewhat similar, and another of a different type being a long curved blade with a thicker end. It is possible that Buchta collected a number of Zande objects on his brief expedition to this part of Sudan. Buchta made an excursion to the groups west of the Nile in 1879.

5. A portrait of a man of Prince Rikita's court (identified as Ndaura) sitting on a low bench-stool (kitikpara) wearing a straw hat and holding a deputy's knife of office (mambere).
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1927
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio

6. A portrait of a man of Prince Rikita's court (identified as Ndaura) sitting on a low bench-stool (kitikpara) wearing a straw hat and holding a deputy's knife of office (mambere). Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1927
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio
Group:
Zande

7. A portrait of a man of Prince Rikita's court (identified as Gbarika) sitting on a low bench-stool (kitikpara) with a dog beneath wearing a straw hat and holding a deputy's knife of office (mambere). 1927
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio
Group:
Zande

8. Male warrior (identified in [1998.341.311] as Kuagbiaru) demonstrating the use of a wickerwork shield (kube), coming towards the camera with a raised spear. Although the use of shields was illegal under British adminstration, Evans-Pritchard had several examples made for him by those who still knew the craft.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1927 - 1930
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio
Group:
Zande

1,2,3,4,5. Nuer mock combat/dancing. This sort of war play was a common feature of such dance gatherings where initiated youths of differing villages faced each other in mock running battles as a show of group prowess. Dances were also significant occasions for courtship.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1936 October - November
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Wahda
Group:
Nuer Western Jikany Jikul

6,7. A group of youths in dance gear with spears, clubs, shields and small flags, apparently engaged in warplay with another group out of frame to the left. Judging by their body language, some crouching, others standing just behind them, they are readying themselves to respond to the aggressive advances of this opposing group, which may be from a nearby village. Dances were frequent events, which provided the main opportunity for youths and girls to socialise together.
Photographer:
Jean Carlile Buxton
Date of Photo:
1950 - 1952
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Jebel ?Tali

8,9 Two men standing in a homestead demonstrating the use of clubs with spears in their left hands. One of the men is wearing thiau armrings which would have meant that the left hand was practically useless for brandishing a weapon. They are described as western Nuer men, possibly either Leek Karlual amongst whom Evans-Pritchard spent most time in 1936 or else Western Jikany.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1936 October - November
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Wahda
Group:
Nuer ?Leek ?Western Jikany

10. A relatively young Nuer prophet holding a spear aloft in his right hand, his face uplifted, showing the characteristic unkemptness of a prophet's beard and hair. In his left hand by his side he holds a spear with a very large blade and another with a smaller blade, and a curved baton called dang with metal and attachments. The dang was an instrument commonly used in wedding invocations, but was also associated with the prophet Ngundeng and thus became a symbol of spiritual power for subsequent prophets. He also wears ivory arm ornaments and leg ornaments of large strung beads. The prophet (guk) was a possessor of an air spirit (gwan kwoth) whom the Nuer greatly revered, but was a relatively unknown character before the mid 19th century, probably a result of the assimilation of Dinka people and their religious ideas. Such men were considered to have spiritual powers such as healing. Prophets were considered tirbal agitators by the government and were frequently persecuted.
Photographer:
Charles William Gwynn
Date of Photo:
?1900
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Upper Nile
Group:
Nuer ?Eastern Jikany

11. A group of four uninitiated youths carrying spears and clubs jumping in the air. They do not seem to be at a dance, and the possibility may exist that they were performing for Evans-Pritchard to photograph them.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1935 - 1936
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Group:
Nuer

12. Two men perform a leaping movement (rau) holding spears and ambatch logs, and beyond them a group of men are also dancing, with Evans-Pritchard's tent visible to the right edge. The location is Yakwach cattle camp on the Sobat which Evans-Pritchard revisited in July 1935. Dances were more a feature of village life than cattle camps since people had more ready access to other social groups, and often accompanied ceremonies such as marriages. Such events were the main arena for courtship among Nuer youth, and often took the form of mock battles between village groups. The proximity of the tent suggests that this dance was held at the end of the day (see shadows) at the instigation of Evans-Pritchard.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1935 July
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Upper Nile Sobat River Yakwach
Group:
Nuer Lou

Last one :)

1. Just out of frame is King Aguaa-war-Akuon of Obuodhi village, sitting in his compound. The subject of the photograph however is a royal stool standing on a skin beside him, as well as the royal spear-rest, a leopard-skin and four spears lying on the ground. These objects comprised the Anuak royal amblems held by the king, which after 1921 rotated annually.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1935 March - May
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Jonglei Obuodhi
Group:
Anuak

2. A smith's assistant sitting on his haunches polishing metal spear-heads on a stone. Although no smelting took place in the Tabi hills, the working of metal was common and apprentices were taken on for several years to learn the craft.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1926 November - December
Region:
Blue Nile Tabi Hills Soda
Group:
Ingessana (Gaam)

3.A full length studio portrait of a young Shilluk warrior, holding hide shield, spear and club, wearing a fringed hair ornament.
Photographer:
Richard Buchta
Date of Photo:
1877 - 1879
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Group:
Shilluk

4. A full length portrait of an Acholi warrior holding two spears and a hide shield. He is wearing metal arm and neck rings with some animal fur around the shoulders. The image seems to have been taken sometime in January 1879 when Buchta travelled through Acholi country en route to Bunyoro [nb I think we'd now consider this part of Uganda's western border region.]
Photographer:
Richard Buchta
Date of Photo:
1879 January
Region:
Northern
Group:
Acholi

5. A group of men brandishing spears and ambatch shields, with small flags on long sticks, rush towards a lone opponent to left of frame, apparently as part of the warplay associated with a large dance gathering between different groups.
Photographer:
Jean Carlile Buxton
Date of Photo:
1950 - 1952
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Jebel ?Tali
Group:
Mandari

Greeks and yataghans...It's always better to talk...

Fellow on the left has a Gasser revolver in his pocket; I wonder why he didn't just shoot the other fellow. :rolleyes:

More likely Albanians or Montenegrins, because of the style of the skull cup, the Gasser revolver and the toka breastplate.

Ngungunhane, Mdungazwe Ngungunyane, Nxumalo, N'gungunhana, known as GUNGUNHANA, the last king of the empire of Gaza (Mozambique) and last of the Jamine monarchy, born 1850 died 1906 in Angra do Heroismo (Azores), to where he was sent to exile in 1898, in the company of his six wifes
... and a picture of some of his Landis, taken in 1890.


.

STAGED PICTURES OF SHAM BATTLE, HEAD TAKING ECT. ILOILO PHILIPPINES, IGORROTES

Executioner, India,1903
 

Executioner, India,1903

This thread is brilliant and fascinating! Thank you everyone who contributed.

YES!! Thank you for these fantastic photos !!! We were recently talking about "Knee Pistols" in another Thread. Notice last photo on the right showing same suspended from a belt.

Rick

:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I_Ds2ytz4o

if you look at him at the start of the scene he looks all tuckered out, hot and sweaty - that's not from running, he had a bad case of the trots and he ad libbed the scene, which was supposed to carry on a lot longer with him interacting with the swordsman, but he wasn't in any condition to do all that, so he improvised. it turned out so well they kept it in, and a legend was born.

That is exactly what happened here.

The Illustrated London News, Volume 76, Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited, 1880

Group of Arabian Gentlemen and camel (latest model))
 

Not sure if this one has been posted before. It appears in Elgood's Arms and Armour of Arabia, and is worthy of showing here.
Stu

The title on the full sized image is "Settling a Frontier Dispute". Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 9 October 1880, Artist R C Woodville. I also have seen this described as "Albanian and a Montenegrin in combat".

Here is the full sized image.

Very nice pic, but raising a question......The 2 guys coming up the hill appear to be wearing Arab head dress, so if the "frontier" is being defended, which frontier is it??
Stu

Mr. Nichan, an Armenian, born at Savaz, Armenia, about 500 miles from Constantinople. He was one of the life guards of the late Sultan Abdul Aziz (he died 1876). The Ottoman kilij sword he wears, sheathed in a beautiful scabbard set with jewels and richly ornamented, was presented to him by the Sultan for meritorious services. From the book "Portrait types of the Midway Plaisance", 1894, a collection of photographs taken at the 6 months of the Worlds Columbian exposition.

This kilij looks to be one of those examples covered in corals and turquoise.

Great to have background info.

Actually it came from an old forum post on that subject. I just edited the image a bit.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5860

There were so many "frontiers" being fought over during that time period it would be hard to pick one, it is possible that the backround figures represent Afghans.

With all due respect, the figures in the foreground hardly look Afghan. It seems to me that this illustration shows two residents of the Balkans locked in mortal combat. It could very well be a Montenegrin and an Albanian, and the frontier in question would then be Ottoman. The mountain people of the Balkans have a reputation of being particularly fierce. In Northern Albania they also have the nasty custom from medieval times of blood feuds (vendettas -avenge blood for blood) which can continue for generations.

I said that the "backround" figures may represent Afghans.

Ottomans, more likely.

Rare Korean photographs showing armor being worn.
 

Korean brigandine armor and helmets being worn, very late 1800s to very early 1900s.

Hyundai?
 

Interesting logo on the chair of the vehicle (only on the cloured plate).
Is it the first prototype of a Hyundai car? :confused:

The logo also in the carriers sleeves; probably some local photoshoper with a Corean sense of humour :eek:

Actually the words "Hyundai" were spelled out on one of the wooden rails of the cart, it has since been edited out. I have no idea how old the colorized version is but I posted it as an example of how this type of armor might have looked when it was being used.

looks more like the B&W photos w/o the calligraphic annotations and hyundai advert.

Thanks, I was looking for this exact image but could not find it.

neither could i ;)

i restored it with photoshop. :)

Indian mounted warrior.
 

Here are two rare photographs, they show what was certainly among the very last of the mounted Indian warriors. I found the first photo awhile back, recently I ran into the second photo. These two photos were obviously meant to be seen together, they are labeled #38 and #39. I edited both photos and created a new image showing both side of this Indian warrior in one photo.

Indian warrior from Orchha. Mounted Indian warrior with a tulwar sword, wearing mail and plate armor (zirah bagtar), helmet (khula khud) and arm guards (dastana), he is holding a very long lance and there is a shield at his side.