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Traditional homestead of the Kurzeme region in Latvian ethnographic exhibition. 1896. Photo Emanuel von Eggert
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Mannequins depicting flax plucking in Latvian ethnographic exhibition. 1896. Photo Emanuel von Eggert
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Latvian ethnographic exhibition poster. 1896. Printing house Kalniņ&Deutschmann, Riga. LU Akadēmiskās bibliotēkas Misiņa bibliotēka
The Latvian ethnographic exhibition, which took place in Riga from 1 August to 15 September 1896 as part of the X All-Russian Congress of Archaeology, was important in the development of Latvian photo-ethnography. The exhibition was the largest representation of the history, culture, and current achievements of the Latvian people in the 19th c.
Photographs were exhibited in almost all sections of the exhibition. Most important for the ethnographical research were the images of traditional clothing and portraits. They were taken in 1894 and 1895 in Kurzeme, Vidzeme, and Latgale especially for the exhibition, capturing Latvian farmers, artisans, teachers and pupils and others whose portraits would not normally be taken. Images of people in traditional clothing taken in Kuldīga county in the villages of the so called “Curonian kings”, Ventspils county, and southern Kurzeme today are of great importance for researchers and those interested in the history of clothing.
WHAT WAS THE LATVIAN ETHNOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION?
-Took place in Riga from 1 August-15 September 1896 as part of the X All-Russia Archaeological Congress
-Organised by the Riga Latvian Society (RLS)
-Eight temporary pavilions were built especially for the exhibition on the site of the current Latvian National Theatre in Riga
-More than 8000 objects were exhibited in 18 sections of the exhibition, including several hundred photographs
-Toy and Doll factory Vierecke und Leutke prepared 51 pressed paper mannequins; facial features and body proportions were based on Latvian anthropological data obtained during expeditions
-RLA Music commission and the Riga Latvian Singing Society organised 3 Latvian musical concerts and 10 Latvian theatrical performances illustrating local traditions and everyday life
-Entry fee 50 copecks (from 11 August – 30 copecks), children under 10 and pupils – 15 copecks
-On weekdays, the exhibition was open from 10:00 to 19:00, and on Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00
-Visited by about 45 300 people
-The exhibition cost 22 725 roubles, revenue was 24 618 roubles and 84 copecks
Staged work scenes
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Spinning with a spinning-wheel. Staged scene. Riga county Stukmaņi township. 1895. Photo Jānis Krēsliņš
Eleven expeditions were organized to collect items for the Latvian ethnographic exhibition. The first took place in the summer of 1894 in Vidzeme. Their purpose was to obtain household items, tools, observe everyday life, photograph, and sketch people in traditional clothing, and survey old buildings.
Most of the photos taken during the expedition were posed portraits of people, individual or in neatly arranged groups or obviously staged. Some of the photos are obviously staged. As the groups of mannequins were created for the exhibition, demonstrating scenes of work or festivities, the photos were needed for the sculptor to create mannequins in realistic positions. The museum’s collection includes scenes from mowing with a scythe, threshing, gathering hay, and spinning.
“We dreamed that there would be so many old artifacts that it would be necessary to build a special building for them. Armed with determination and things needed for travel, such as photographic apparatus as well as drawing and measuring tools, on the 18th day of June, we headed out, first to Sigulda. From there, we decided to continue along the seashore to the Estonian border.”
Krēsliņš, Jānis. Pa Vidzemi [Around Vidzeme]. Dienas Lapa. 1894. No. 190
Expedition participants – teachers, writers, and artists
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Ethnographic expedition participants and locals at Drusku (Korneti) hill fort. Valka county Korneta township. From left: Jaunlaicene church tavern innkeeper Toms Āboliņš, Opekalns congregation schoolteacher Kārlis Millers, teacher Pēteris Ābols, unknown, Jaunroze township teacher Dāvids Ozoliņš, unknown, engineering student Krišjānis Zīvarts. 1894. Photo Jānis Krēsliņš
Nine people applied to participate in the Riga Latvian Society Science Commission expeditions. Although three of them – Jānis Krēsliņš, Ernests Jakobons and Pēteris Ābols – returned from the expeditions with a rich collection of photographs, none of the participants was a professional ethnographer or photographer. Among the participants were teacher and supervisor of the Riga Latvian Society Museum Sīmanis Novickis (1852–1902), artist Jānis Krēsliņš (1865–?), teacher, later professor Juris Plāķis (1869–1942), teachers Einis Rītiņš and Ernests Jakobsons (1867–1935), teacher and writer Pēteris Ābols (Abuls) (1860–1926), student, later theologian and folklorist Ludis Bērziņš (1870–1965), engineering students Krišjānis Zīvarts (Zīverts), and Aleksandrs Vanags (1873–1919) who was later a renowned architect.
Presumably, expedition participants may have used “detective” or field cameras that could be easily carried and, if necessary, used without a tripod. The camera was not large, designed for 9×12 cm glass plates negatives.
See the next stand: What is a Latvian?
See the previous stand: Russian Ethnographic Exhibition. Moscow. 1867