Figure 1.-- Here Geddes captures an old woman engaged in some activity that interest the girls. We are not sure just what she is doing. Shev seems to have a chunkm of wood and is pounding something. The two little girls are carrying babies. Notice how young the girls are thatb are etrusted with carrying for their younger siblings. Many today say that there are no diiferences between boys and girls -- notice the boys are bever entrusted with this responsibility. Of course gender stereotying is the reason, but inherent behavior trends can not be dismissed. This photograph would probably have been taken in the 1910s, but the interesting aspect is that it could have been taken in the 19th century or even earlier.

We have next to no information on Herbert Geddes. We know that he was a Vanadian manager for G.R. Gregg and Company, importers and exporters, based in Vancouver and Winnipeg. The company sent him to facilatate trade operations. Yhisd is a good example of Japasn's increasingly export based industrial development. Geddes was based in Yokohama, the port for Tokyo (1908-18). Geddes retuned to vancouver and was the manager for Gregg and Company until the mid-1950s. Apperantly he was avid photographer and has left us a wonderful collection of life in Japan during the early-20th century. His photographics are glass-plate colorized transparencies. We see scenery, street scenes, children, agriculture, the peasantry, fishing, industry, silk production, stone carvers, wood carvers, metal workers, potters, and artists. These 'Yokohama photographs' were sold to foreign tourists between about in the late 19th century brfore postcards were generally available. We are not sure why Geddesc decided to work in this traditional medium, but they are a valuable addition to the Japanese photographic record.

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Created: 2:30 AM 12/7/2022
Last updated: 2:30 AM 12/7/2022