Original Photograph Island of Ansoes – Dutch East Indies [West Papua) - 1939

Product Categories

Original Photograph Island of Ansoes – Dutch East Indies [West Papua) – 1939

Short Description

A quality image 24cm by 18cm of the village on the Island of Ansoes [now called Palua Ansus], a small island south of Japen Island in the north of West Papua.

Photographer unknown but taken for the Publisher’s Photo Service [A Photo Library], New York. Dated August 21st 1939 on the rear with various ownership stamps and a caption, which reads …

"Dutch E. indies – Island of New Guinea … This entire village of Ansoes is built on piles which furnish protection both from disastrous floods and reptiles and preying animals from the dense surrounding jungles. Needless to say all visiting is done by native canoes." i.e. the usual melodrama regarding the perceived primitive at the time of Tarzan the Ape Man.

We love the little guys put at the front of the scene playing local flute like instruments

Still a very isolated location … population at the last estimate was around 7,000 so we guess very little has changed.

Super image – very good clarity – photographic contrast.

Updating...