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Compendium of Radness
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Art Photography

Jim Naughten: Hereros

Miss Moss
10 Comments
Wednesday 16 November, 2016
Jim Naughten: Hereros

these images are not new, but i came across them again recently and thought i had to share in case someone out there had not seen them before. they are so arrestingly beautiful, and the story behind them is fascinating.

in the late 1800s Germany colonised what is now Namibia – or “Deutsch-Südwestafrika” as the Germans called it back then – and had an everlasting impact on the native Herero tribe. missionaries set about converting and clothing the Herero people in European fashions, and over time dressing in this manner became a Herero tradition, as well as a great source of pride to the wearer.

War broke out between German colonizers and the local tribes in 1904. The Herero tribe was devastated, having lost almost eighty percent of its population. Garments became an important expression of identity during these fragile times. Upon killing a German soldier, a Herero warrior would remove the uniform and adopt it to his personal dress as a symbol of his prowess in battle. Paradoxically, as with the Victorian dresses, the wearing of German uniforms became a tradition that is continued to this day by Namibian men who honour their warrior ancestors during ceremonies, festivals and funerals.

in 2012 British photographer Jim Naughten set about capturing modern day Hereros against an unforgiving Namibian landscape. you can read more about his project here.

africa costumes herero herero tribe jim naughten namibia Photography
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10 Comments
  1. Klara

    Wednesday 16 November, 2016 1:27 pm

    Hi Diana!

    I loved your post today (I’m from Namibia and I’m a “someone out there who has not seen them before” so thank you. I wanted to share it but noticed you don’t have a share button for your posts (or am I missing it?) – all your posts are very shareable / I would totally share every last one! Anyway, I’m still gonna grab the link and share it but thought I’d nudge you to get a share button in anyway :)

    Reply
    1. Miss Moss

      Wednesday 16 November, 2016 1:37 pm

      just added sharing buttons, thanks!

      Reply
  2. Dalia

    Wednesday 16 November, 2016 6:01 pm

    Amazing, thanks for sharing this I´ve just recently discovered through pinterest. Story deserves not to be forgotten, and this is a concrete example.
    Best wishes
    dalia

    Reply
  3. Rachel

    Wednesday 16 November, 2016 8:38 pm

    Incredible!

    Reply
  4. mariana

    Friday 18 November, 2016 12:59 pm

    wow, very cool, diana!

    thank you for sharing.

    :)

    Reply
  5. florence

    Sunday 20 November, 2016 1:45 am

    Portraits make the clothes look so modern! What an interesting heritage, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Tracy

    Sunday 27 November, 2016 7:39 am

    Love this post, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  7. Anna

    Friday 2 December, 2016 5:36 am

    i absolutely love these! i had not seen them. thank you for sharing

    Reply
  8. Samantha Sophia

    Monday 2 January, 2017 7:26 am

    This is breathtaking!

    Reply
  9. Paulina Januszewska

    Friday 28 February, 2020 9:43 pm

    Breathtaking indeed!

    Reply
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Hey! I'm Miss Moss

But you can call me Diana

This blog is a means of curating and sharing my love for visual treasures - especially in the creative fields of fashion, art, design and photography (and lots of vintage, too).

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