The Echo of Things by Christopher Wright

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The Echo of Thingsthe lives of photographs in the solomon islands

Christopher Wright


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Objects/HistOries critical PersPectives On art, Material

culture, and rePresentatiOn A series edited by Nicholas Tomas

Publised wit te ssistnce o te etty Foundtion.


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Te Eco o TingstHe lives Of PHOtOgraPHs in tHe sOlOMOn islands

Cristoper rigt

Duke Uniersity Press Durham & London 0


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0 Duke Uniersity Press

All rigts resered

Printed in te United ttes

o Aeric on cid-ree pper

Designed by Ay Rut ucnn

ypeset in rond Preier Pro nd

Met by seng nortion ystes, nc.

Librry o Congress Ctloging-in-Publiction Dt

rigt, Cristoper (Cristoper J.)

Te eco o tings : te lies o potogrps in te

oloon slnds /

Cristoper rigt.p. c. (Objects/istories)

ncludes bibliogrpicl reerences nd index.

ISBN 978-0-8-96- (clot : lk. pper)

ISBN 978-0-8-0-6 (pbk. : lk. pper)

. Potogrpy in etnologyoloon slnds.

. oloon slndsPictoril works. . oloon

slndersPictoril works. . itle. . eries:

Objects/istories.GN7.W7 0

0.800999dc

000979


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For Joanna, Beinn and Evan,

and for my parents, with love.


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Contents

List o Illustrations ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Prologue

1 ie VakaTe Men o te ot 9

2 A Deils Engine 9

3 Potogrpic Resurrection

4 Histories 6Epilogue 9

Notes 9

Reerences 0

Index 7


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IllustratIons

Map p. Mp o te ew eorgi roup nd Roin. 8

Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs were

taken by the author fom 1998 to 2001.

p. Fletu Lee olding potogrp o isel s youngn. xi

p. wo young ew eorgin en. 6

p. Roin Lgoon. 0p. eengers looking t potogrps, Von Von Lgoon. 7p. Older woen looking t potogrps, Von Von Lgoon. 7. kulls inside cnoe ouse (paele), us Roin. . nq. 7

. Roin en nd boys. 7. Lrge cnoe (tomoko) wit nq t stern. 8. Roin n. 0. nq stnding ner te stern o te lrge cnoe (tomoko)

(sown in gure .). . ew eorgin n nd Europen silor. 9.8 tercolor swtces o skin color. 0


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x ii

.. Pln or ntropoetric esureents. . Four en ro Mroo Lgoon. . wo Roin woen. . Ancestrl srine, Mund. 8

. cred ige in bus, Mund. 8. Roin n nd won. 0. uis wie nd er cildren. 0. Roin n wit clock inserted in is erlobe. 0.8 Reerend Jon Frncis oldie nd Roin cies. . eorge Videre, oloon eke, ooty Ototo, ioty

Loe, ki, nd ndi t Kokeqolo. . Mission-scool students on cricket pitc, Kokeqolo.

. tie CurcMetodist curc on us Roinislnd.

. Roin n. 6. oz isilo, Disy, nd Alpeus. 6. now in Cristcurc. 7. Clrinds poto lbu. 7. Pilip Loe. 7. Fred nd tinted potogrp o Kitcener etley. 79. Josepine etley nd Florence ose ino. 79. Voli sit. 82.7 T bck o t potogrp o Voli sit (gur 2.6). 81

.8 lote, Florrie, nd Edin. 8. ck o te potogrp o lote, Florrie, nd Edin

(gure .8). 8. tudio bckdrop in An uks store, Honir. 86. Fres nd poto lbus in An uks store, Honir. 86. Mttew Etu in An uks studio. 88

. Voli sit wit Jne in An uks studio. 90. i Lee. 9

. Oso, in te lobby o Mendn Hotel, poto by An uksstudio. 9

. Entrnce to uper Cine, Honir. 96. Potogrps on disply, An uks store. 96.8 Front coer o one o Clrinds poto lbus. 97. Pges ro Donld Mepios poto lbu. 00. ck o te potogrp o Frid etley (gure .9). 00. Donld Mepios wedding lbu. 0. One o Volis poto lbus. 0. Obed isili. 0


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ii x

. Donld Mepio olding potogrp o is ter. 0. Clrind on bec in ew Zelnd. 07. Ronld lsss. 08. onge.

. Victorin poto jewelry de wit brided un ir. 8. Did Rike nd eorge isu. 0. Roin cie (banara) wering sell luble (bakiha

rapoto). . ooden cring (beku). . ooden cring (beku). . Ancestrl srine. 8.8 ooden cring (beku). 8

. Cnoe nd igewooden cring nd odelcnoe. 0

. ooden ge o on nd bywooden cringo won nd cild. 0

3.11 A Rovin idol (still in xistnc, but or s curio). 140. Oerodeled un skull (kibo). . Ancestrl srine (oru). 6. Ancestrl srine (oru) on Kudu Hite slnd. 0. Ancestrl srine (oru) on Kudu Hite slnd. 0. Ancestrl srine (oru) on Kudu Hite slnd. 0. ges on te wll o Cris Mupios ouse, Mund.

.8 Potogrp o ion Mupio. . Drwing o ion Mupio. . Cris Mupio. 9. llegible potogrp. 60. Disppering potogrps in n lbu. 60. Fletus potocopy. 6

. Ocers nd rines o hmSRoyaliston te sore tisit. 7

. uildings burning on us Roin islnd. 7. Ocers nd rines o hmSRoyaliston te sore t

isit. 8. rti in Mund. 8. rti in Mund. 8. rti in Mund. 8e. hmSRoyalisto te sore o us Zong islnd. 90e. Fletus pinting, Te Coming o Lotu. 90


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owe get del to ny people in Rovin, Honi, nd else-

whee in the oloon slnds, in pticul Fletu Leve. hope

tis book will sere s onuent to is eory. Oter Roin

popl includ Ronld lsss nd ily, Cris Mupio, Donld

Mepio nd ily, e Ok, Josepine etley nd ily, Re-

eend Robetson Bto, Annie Hoelo, Dvid Ke nd ily,

ion se, Olive lsss, Lwence Fonot, the undes

nd Pors ilies, ep, nd tnley (nd eeryone plyed oot-bll wit). Tnks to ll tose worked wit constructing te new

school building in Dunde, the st nd students t the okogso

Lening Cente, nd ll those Rovin people who shed thei

knowledge nd potogrps wit e in suc generous wy.

ery grteul to te elders o te Dunde Council or teir peris-

sion to work tere. Tnk you nd leana hola.

n Austrli nd ew Zelnd ery grteul to Peter ep-

pd nd his ily, Chistine Dueu, kuy Ngok, Fidetley nd ily, nd Do nd Micelle.

n the United Kingdo, owe get del to Chis Pinney,

wo s been elpul in ore wys tn cn count nd s been

aCknowledgMents


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xv cm

constnt iend. Roslyn Poignnt lso povided huge ount

o suppot nd poductive citicl input, s well s seving s the

bst possibl sourc o inspirtion. I v lso bntd grtly ro

discussions wit te ollowing people: Elizbet Edwrds, usnneKuechle, Deboh Wite, Phil Bunh, Nichols undes,

Cristoper illey, Dniel Miller, Lucy orris, uck ceiellin,

Hidy eisr, ree er, icols Tos, Edrd Hiding,

nd Ji Kupiinen. Te wok o Edvd Hviding ws pticul

sourc o inspirtion or y rsrc, spcilly or t wy in wic

e lwys priileges te oices o oloon slnders. His eldwork

lwys seved s n excellent odel. hve been lucky enough to

e been inoled in te intellectul project on ntropology nd

potogrpy initited by Roslyn Poignnt, Cristoper Pinney nd

Elizbet Edwrds in te 980s, nd y own work owes n inesti-

ble debt to teir exples. e lso lerned lot troug pre-

senting soe o te ides in tis book in te or o ppers t old-

sits, Uniersity College London, Uniersity o Mncester, nd

te aaa nnul conerence.

Te ebes o the New Geogi Acheologicl uvey, p-

ticully Pete heppd, hnk Aswni, kuy Ngok, nd

i Tos wly welcoed e in Rovin in 1998 nd hvecontinued to proide strong collegite support or wic ex-

treely grteul.

t t the ollowing institutions povided get del o sup-

pot: Royl Anthopologicl nstitute, London (especilly h

lpole); Royl eogrpicl ociety, London; Etnogrpy De-

prtent nd Librry t te ritis Museu; Cbridge Museu

o Acheology nd Anthopology; Pitt Rives Museu, Oxod;

Mitcell Librry, ydney; Austrlin Museu, ydney; MelbourneMusu, Mlbourn; Powrous Musu, ydny; Mtodist Ar-

cies, Aucklnd (prticulrly Jill eeks); tionl Museu, Ho-

nir; Aucklnd Museu; Rutenstruc Joest Museu, Cologne;

tionl Librry, Cnberr.

owe uge debt to icols Tos or ll is insigtul nd

elpul coentstis book owes uc to is intellectul inspi-

rtion nd support. T st t Duk Univrsity Prss v providd

uge ount o support in seeing tis book into production. nprticulr Ken issocker s been extreely ptient nd s lwys

been thee with excellent dvice. Tnks e lso due to Elizbeth

Ault nd Jessic Ryn or teir consistent elp, to Rebecc Fowler


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cm xv

or so xcptionlly good copy-diting, nd to y nonyous r-

iewers o te originl nuscript.

owe ost o ll to y wie, Jonn, nd to y sons, einn nd

En. Tis book would not e been possible witout teir endur-ing support nd loe.

. . .

oe o te teril presented ere s ppered in n ltered or

in te ollowing rticles nd cpters:

Mteil nd Meoy: Photogphy in the Westen oloon

Islnds,Journal of Material Culture 9, no. 1 (2004): 7385 (SaGe

Publictions).

A Devils Engine: Photogphy nd piits in the Westen

oloon slnds, in Hunting ges: Te Aectie Power o

Potogrpy, edited by . it nd R. Vokes, specil edition

oVisual Anthropology , no. (008): 680 (Routledge).

Fletus Potocopy, or te Mutbility o Visul History in Ro-

in, inPhotography, Anthropology and History: Expanding the

Frame, edited by Chistophe Moton nd Elizbeth Edwds.

Asgte, 009.


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Prologue

F a l e t au L e v e , f r O M R O v i a n a L a g O O n i n t H e S O l O

on slnds in te out Pcic, described to e te potogrp

o isel tt e ws olding (gure P.): You cn see te sd-

ows o people in potogrps. oeting reinsit is te eco

o things. You shdow is the photogph. Te soul is like g-

netic thingthe photogph is the soul o peson. Tis photo-

grp is y sdow.1 Te potogrp, eld in wooden re e

de, is te only ige tt e s o isel s young n. Hewent on to tell e stoies tht e connected to the photogph,

stoies tht bind hi nd this teil object togethe, s well s

trcing lines o connection to oter istories nd plces. Te poto-

grp ws tken in 97, wen e rst begn working or te ritis

govenentwhich contolled the oloon slnds s colonil

potectote o 1893 to 1978. Fletu woked o ny yes s

cpente nd bot builde in Gizo, cente o Bitish dinis-

trtion on n islnd o te se ne tt lies to te west o Ro-vin. A iend o his o Fiji, Mepz Gin ellow cpen-

tertook te potogrp on Fletus own cer, wic e d

just bought with his st wges. Fletu wnted the photogph

FIgure p. (opposite)

v h

hh f hf

y .


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2

to send to his giliend t the tie, Disy. Te ide o exchng-

ing these kinds o love photos, s they e known loclly, ce

ro Aericn soldiers sttioned in Mund wo Fletu d be-

riended during orld r in te id-90s. His powerul senseo physicl ttchent to this photogphthis objectseeed

ilir; e potogrps o y own ily nd o e tt exert

siilr old. Te terinology tt e used to describe te poto-

gphshdow, echo, soulsuggests his undestndings o pho-

togphy s ediu. Tis book is concened with how Rovin

people e been, nd re, entngled wit potogrpy in rious

wys: troug being te subjects o colonil potogrpy, troug

thei own uses nd expecttions o the ediu, nd though the

ole it cn ply in thei ides o histoy. t is n guent o n

etnogrpic pproc to our understnding o potogrpy, nd

or ocus on te prticulr kinds o gic tt it works on us.

Te contion o two sensesision nd soundtt occurred

wen Fletu tlked o te eco o tings in reltion to is poto-

gph is entiely ppopite to this poject. Te ide o diect

physicl connection between the photogph nd the object

Fletus notion o te ige s n eco, reerbertionis key

coponent o potogrpic gic, nd o te wy in wic po-togphy is thought to wok in Rovin. t is these kinds o ides

bout how photogph is elted to its subject tht con-

cerned wit trcing in context were potogrpy is tecnology

introduced ro elsewere. Potogrpy is not siply tecnicl

pocess; photogphs e socil objects s uch s they e visul

iges. Potogrpy produces interconnected networks o objects,

enings, nd socil reltionsips, nd in teir socil lies, poto-

gphs hve s uch to do with ol histoy, with the stoies thtcirculte round te, s tey e wit ny tecnologicl under-

stnding or strictly isul ening (Edwrds 00). Tese kinds o

storiesteseles te ecoes o potogrpic objectsre wt

lso concerned wit ere: te wy tt suc stories cn reel

not just pesonl biogphies nd eoies but lso wide issues

bout wt potogrpy is nd wt it dos or Rovin popl. T

notion o n eco contins te ide o cll nd response, n url

rction, siilr to t visul on ssocitd wit potogrpy, butsiilr too to te process o entwining stories nd potogrps.

Fletu bought his st ce Kodk Box Bowniein

1957 o Chinese stoe in Gizo. Te ce cost hi $1.70 in


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3

Austrlin dollrs nd roll o twele sots o l cost $.00, bot

o wic represented considerble sus o oney t tt tie. Te

price o te l included te cost o te store owner sending it to

be deeloped nd printed in Austrli, nd te process took t lesttwo onts, nd soeties longer, beore series o contct prints

were sent bck. Fletu neer receied negties. Te potogrp o

Fltu is n nlrgnt d ro on o ts contct prints by

rind wo workd in t potogrpic drkroo run by t Britis

dinistrtion in izo. Tis ws sll rudientry drkroo set

up in Gizo in the 1960s s pt o esech poject on coconuts,

nd sevel Rovin people still possess photogphs de in this

drkroo. Fletu told e tt te originl print did not ke i

coe out good, so he pesuded Bitish iend to ke n en-

lrgeent or i. He went on to explin tt t tt point Roin

people did not know how to e o pose photogphs, so

peoples ces ppered strnge; tey did not coe out good.2 Ro-

in people d to lern wt, nd wen, to potogrp, s uc

s tey d to lern ow to use te cer in ny tecnicl sense.

iilrly, nw skills o ring subjcts d to b lrnd wn lrg

nubers o people in Europe nd ort Aeric, wo d prei-

ously rlid on potogrpic studios, bgn to tk tir own poto-grps t te end o te nineteent century (Hollnd 997, 8).

Olde people who spoke to bout photogphs in Rovin

ofen hd diculties ecognizing nything in photogphs othe

tn wole bodies cing orwrd ginst plin or reltiely neu-

tl bckgound. Photogphs tht showed close- ups o ces, o

bodies in ction, were rd or tese people to ke out, nd tey

coplined tht in these iges people did not coe out good.

Altoug tey could recognize ces o indiiduls tey knew i drew ttention to tein seerl cses ing to coer up oter

pts o the igethe olde people clely hd thei own set o

expecttions o photogphs. As Anthony Foge notes egding

te Abel o Ppu ew uine in te lte 960s: en sown

potogrps o teseles in ction, or o ny pose oter tn ce

or ull gure looking directly t te cer, tey cesed to be ble

to see te potogrp t ll. . . . Een wen te gure dointes

(to y eyes) te potogrp soeties d to drw tick lineround it beore it could be identied, nd in soe cses d te

ipression tt tey willed teseles to see it rter tn ctully

sw it in te wy we do (Forge 970, 87).


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4

n tes o his own otivtion to tke photogphs, Fletu

decled tht he wnted to keep evey soething, to intin

pysicl closnss to popl nd vnts troug gtting old o tir

iges. ut e pointed out tt e ended up giing lots o poto-grps wy to oter people, like is broter, oter ily ebers,

or to nyone in is lrge extended ily group (butubutu). Fletu

wnted to ke n lbu, but e ended up sring eery soe-

thing. He would lso tke photogphs o othe people toot

weddings nd ests, nd he ws known s matazona, Rovin

ter tt reers to soeone endowed wit certin powers, includ-

ing good sigt nd eory, but lso iplying generl sense o

eccy, o being ble to ke tings coe out good. Historiclly,

tzon were crers nd bot builderskey gures in construct-

ing t lrg nd lbort trding nd dunting cnos clld to-

moko. Tey were lso consute orl istorins. Te role is eredi-

ty, nd contepoy tzon cn tce the genelogicl line

troug wic tey cquired teir power troug our or e gen-

ertions. For Fletu is bility s tzon is wt enbled i to

ke potogrps coe out good. Fletu originlly lerned ow

to use cer ro noter Roin n clled oloon Dkei,

wo d been educted in Fiji, but Fletu sserts tt is bility toke people coe out good nd to re potogrp is direct

result o is tzon power. He describes te potogrp o i-

sel s young n s enbling te eory o tie, nd ltoug

it is te only potogrp e s o isel prior to te erly 970s,

he lents the ct tht the photogph does not show his whole

body: Tis is specil poto. [ut] cnnot coe out good. ut

will be reebered. You cn see tt rein [stp].3

Fletu uses te Pijin wordstap in te sense o endure, but lsoin reerence to being in te potogrp. Altoug it is usully used

in te ore undne sense o soeone stying indoorsei stp

lo osFletu uses it ere to indicte soeting pysicl tt re-

ins. piits e sid to stp in cetin plces nd etues o the

Rovin lndscpe, nd this photogph contins soething o

Fletu. t sees zing tht o soeone who owned ce

nd ws kn nd ctiv potogrpr, Fltu sould v so littl

in te wy o suriing potogrpic iges. Tis is prtly te resulto shing photogphs with othes, but lso evels the wy tht

potogrps ofen do not surie long in te intense et nd u-

idity o Rovin. Potogrpsspoilem (r spoild) vry quickly


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5

ding to n bstrct pttern o colors, or succubing to ildew

process tt ens tt tose tt do surie cquire n extr ur.

Fletus ttcent to tis prticulr potogrp, wic sits on

sel in is bedroo nd is one o nine potogrps in is posses-sion, reels te old tt potogrpy s oer Roin peopleit

is iportnt to stp.

ws in Rovin Lgoon on New Geogi, n islnd in the

oloon slnds group, in te lte 990s to crry out soe reserc

or n exibition project ws inoled in curting t te tionl

Musu in Honir, t cpitl o t oloon Islnds. T xibi-

tion ws celebrtion o te twentiet nniersry o independence

o Bitish ule. spent ost o y tie in Rovin tlking to

people nd sowing te sll collection o copy prints o nine-

teent- nd erly twentiet-century potogrps o ew eorgi

tht hd tken with e. My intentions wee to use the photo-

grps s collbortie ens o gtering orl istories nd biog-

rpis, nd so o ts ccounts would tn b usd to cption

te potogrps or te exibition in Honir. ws lso interested

in wht peoples expecttions o the photogphs wee in histoi-

cl ters; wt did tey wnt ro te potogrps? exibited

the photogphs in ny wys. Tis nged o hnging seieso photogphs by pegs o stings stetched between thtched

uts in illge, or cross roo, to pinning potogrps nd c-

copnying texts to wlls. Exibitions ofen took plce in peoples

hoes the thn in ny public spce. Te pcticl pocesses in-

oled wit orgnizing tese perornces were ofen reeling s

people discussed wt potogrps sould be sown, nd ow tey

sould be rrnged.4 As well s giing prints to specic indiiduls

nd ilies, nd leing copies o ll o te wit locl kastom(custo) school poduced sevel sll booklets o locl dis-

tibution with photocopies o photogphs nd texts in Rovin.

Tese kind o siple objects ofen hve consideble ipct

tey cn be gien out ree, weres books e to be purcsed.

n one villge long the shoe o the lgoon, Bulelvt, lge

cowd gtheed in the welcoe shde o lge counl cook-

ing ut to look t te prints tt nded round. Old en tlked

bout te ksto reeled in potogrp tken by ritis nllieutennt, Henry oerille, during ydrogrpic surey o Ro-

in nd nerby Mroo Lgoon tt ws crried out in 899

by the Royl Nvy (gue P.2). Te lge eings, shell vlubles,


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6

lied ir, cloting, nd body decortions depicted in te ige ll

identied it s potogrp ro beore. Altoug te pprent

nwnss o t copy I d, in coprison to t vry worn condition

o te ew potogrps tt ulelt people possessed, ws co-

ented on, people considered it n object connected wit te pst.oe people suggested tt te potogrp igt e been tken

t te tieRoyalist, reerence to istoriclly signicnt ttck

de by te Royl y sip hmS Royaliston Roin illges in

89, ew yers beore oerilles isit. Tis ws put orwrd s

probble reson or te isible crck in te potogrp, wic ws

tougt to be te result o te potogrp itsel ing been sot

during te ttck by teRoyalist. People constntly turned te copy

oer to see i te ole went rigt troug te print, nd y discus-sion o boken glss negtiveo y own undestnding o

te process o king print ro negtie on rgile seet o

glssws et wit indierence.

FIgure p. y

.

hh by Hy B.

v, 8.

cy f y

hi, .

.


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7

eerl older en speculted bout ow it igt be possible to

trce te liing ncestors o te youts in te potogrp by co-

pring teir ces to conteporry people. Middle-ged en were

ore concerned wit te potogrps bility to coent on tepesent nd nitedly tlked bout thei teenge sons, who hd

nised scool nd now ung listlessly round te illge oiding

te subsistence work o grdening nd sing. Tese teenge boys,

whose sunglsses, knotted ed bndns ound thei heds, nd

oersized bggy trousers sowed te inuence o regge nd rgg

usicl subcultures, luged disissiely t te potogrp. Yet, in

lte convestionsout o pentl sighttht included discus-

sion o potogrps o teseles nd iges cut out ro Austr-

lin usic gzines, they expessed oe cuiosity. Middle-ged

woen, wo looked t te potogrp togeter in lrge rucous

group, pointed out tt, like oerilles subjects, teengers tody

d n obsession wit teir pysicl ppernces. Luging loudly,

they tlked bout the u boys o the villge nd de seies o

thinly disguised innuendos nd jokes bout teenges inteest in

sex. As te potogrps were pssed ro nd to nd, tey be-

ce te subject o ny dierent kinds o conerstions, reeling

te ultiple res nd istories tt reole round ec poto-grpteir ecoes. t concerned wit in tis book is not

just wt is depicted in te potogrp, wt it igt be tougt

to contin in ny xd istoricl sns, but lso wt gos on round

it, its lie. Te potogrp is trnsored troug processes o re-

contextuliztion, chnging despite its ppent teil xity

(Tos 1991). n oving beyond its oensic cpcity, these pe-

ornces o te potogrp reel its bility to be bsorbed into

oter istories nd trce wide rnge o connections between pstnd present (Edwrds 00).

eogrpiclly, Roin consists o lrge lgoon nd string o

brrier islnds tt runs or soe twenty iles long te soutern

cost o the in islnd o New Geogi in the westen oloon

Islnds (p P.1). On o t bst dscriptions o t nvironnt o

te lgoon reins tt proided by oerille isel in 899:

e now coe to [te ew eorgi groups] ost striking, nd

probbly unique etureits brrier islnd nd lgoons. . . . Fol-lowing te soutern sore o Min slnd [ew eorgi] to te

estwrd . . . tere is long cin o brrier ree nd islnds wic


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Map p. m f h v.

KokeqoloMando Lambete

Kokorapa

Sisiata

Dunde

NusaRoviana

M U N D A

N E W

G E O R G I A

ROVIANAISLAND

KUDUHITE NUSAZONGA

HOMBUPEKA

HOMBUHOMBUR O V

IA

NA

LAG O

O N

HATHORN

SOUND

VONAV

ONA L

AGOON

Munda

Gizo

VELLALAVELLA

KOLO-BANGARA

RENDOVA

SIMBO

RANONGGA

GHIZO

TETEPARE

NEW

GEORGIA

VANGUNU

GATOKAE

RovianaLagoon

Vonavona

Lagoon MarovoLagoon

0 km

2 40 miles

2 4


22/32

9

enclose te Rubin [Roin] lgoon. On its inner bec is built

the lgest settleent in the goup, seies o villges holding

probbly between 000 nd 000 inbitnts, te cie o wic

gies its ne to te lgoon. . . . o look down upon te lgoonro te suit o ny o te ills o te lrge islnds is to e

sped beoe one the stngest nd ost pictuesque scenes

iginble. Te splendid luxuint bush close ound os

oegound o the highest inteest, edged t the wteline by

te wite snd, or drk green ngroes o te cost, wit per-

ps brown ttced ntie illge stnding ong its coconut

pls, nd cnoes plying bout beyond on te cl wter. Te

iddle distnce is lled wit te lgoon itsel, drk blue in te

deeps, ple blue in the shllows, light bown ove the lbyin-

tine rees est o colour. (oerille 897, 960)

Altoug tis excerpt suggests certin colonil desire or co-

nding viw, it dos dscrib so o t nduring pysicl buty

o te lgoon enironent (gure P.). Despite te discoery o

t islnds in 1568 by t pnird Alvro d Mnd, wo sigtd

two islnds o te ew eorgi group, it ws not until 787 tt

Europn vssl c witin clos proxiity to t islnds (Jckson978, ). For Roin people tere ollowed istory o incresing

contct wit Europens, wic led nlly to te declrtion o te

oloon slnds s ritis protectorte in 89, ollowed by te

rril o trders, nd ten, in 90, te Metodist ission. Histori-

clly, te illges tt oerille encountered in 899 d been

estblised in te lte sixteent or erly seenteent century wen

peviously inlnd popultions oved to the cost (Aswni 2000).

Lie in Roin s oerille ound it ws, nd to lrge extent still

is, bsed round te subsistence ctiities o sing nd grdening.

But, dspit t ndurnc o t pysicl lndscp nd crtin -

tures o dily lie, Roin s undergone uge cnges bot beore

nd fr colonilis. As Edvrd Hviding rgus, t culturs in Ro-

vin did not consist o sttic society existing oe o less in

tieless present beore te rril o Europens. ifing llinces,

igrtions nd territoril displceent were coon etures . . .

prior to Europen contct (Hiding 996, 0).

T rly dcds o t twntit cntury sw lrg-scl cngin Rovin s esult o issiony wok nd econoic develop-

ent, but in the lte 1950s locl bekwy oveent o the


23/32

10

Methodist Chuch ws oed, clled the Chistin FellowshipCurc. Tis ws igly syncretic oeent ounded by locl

pophetils Etond the joity o Rovin people tody

belong eiter to te Metodist Curc or te Cristin Fellowsip

Chuch (Hwood 1971). ndependence o Bitish contol ws

gnted to the oloon slnds in 1978, nd lthough thee wee

subsequent oves to estblish n independent westen oloons

stte (politicl ides tht wee once gin the topic o uch con-

vestion duing y esech), Rovin cuently eins politi-clly prt o estern Proince nd te oloon slnds (Preds,

teees, nd Lrour 98). During te tie o y reserc, ro

998 to 00, te ongoing etnic tensions nd wt ws eectiely

ilitry coup in Honir in June 000 were ing considerble

ipct on te people o Roin. Te iolence nd upel, wic

evolved ostly ound long-stnding ivlies between people

ro te islnd o Mlit nd tose ro udlcnl, eentully

resulted in te Austrlin goernent being instruentl in send-ing in pn-Pcic pece-keeping orce in te or o te Regionl

Assistnce Mission to the oloon slnds (ramSI) in July 2003.

Te lst Ppu New Guinen ed contingent o this oce only

FIgure p. v .


24/32

11

lef te oloons in April 0. n erly 000 ny reugees ro

the violence in the cpitl hd oved bck, seipenently, to

Roin nd tis d cused resurcing o ny persistent locl

pobles ove lnd nd ccess to esouces. Tese pobles ndoters relted to utority nd lw nd order were ofen reerred to

by Roin people in direct reltion to te upels tt resulted

ro t ctions o t ocrs nd crw o t hmSRoyalistin 1891.

Te wy in wic tis prticulr istoricl eent reeerged nd ws

linked to current eents ws cilitted or prooked by discussions

o potogrps like oerilles.

Potogrps re reeling o wider culturl concerns, nd Pierre

Boudieu hs gued tht the ost tivil photogph expesses,

prt ro te explicit intentions o te potogrper, te syste

o scees o perception, tougt nd pprecition coon to

wole group (ourdieu 990, 6). ut potogrps lso reel rc-

tures nd cnnot be tken s strigtorwrd reections o culture.

Wht is equied is n intite undestnding o how they unc-

tion s ediu in pctice pctice tht is both histoiclly

nd culturlly situtd. Wt is ndd is n tnogrpy o t uss

o potogrps. Tis book is study o te uses o potogrps in

Roin Lgoon tt will look t bot conteporry potogrpicprctices nd consider peoples rections to istoricl potogrps

o Rovin de in the lte nineteenth nd ely twentieth cen-

turis. It is n tnogrpy o potogrpy tt rgus or nw nd

uller ntropologicl enggeent wit potogrpies.

nsoing photogphy into the plulphotogphies

igligts te need or tis etnogrpic pproc to understnd-

ing the ediu. Te get bulk o the pevious esech on the

intesection o nthopology nd photogphy hs looked t thepotogrpic representtion o oter cultures produced by colonil

regies (see Alloul 987; Edwrds 99; reen 98). Cristoper

Pinney s rgued tt potogrpy nd ntropology sre pr-

llel istory, nd, wile productiely probletizing te reltion-

sip, e s sown ow te positiis scribed to potogrpy in

the ne o scientic endevo ound etile gound in the ely

positivis o t ntropologicl projct (Pinny 1992). T writing

on colonil potogrpy s ofen treted it s n unoccluded ir-ror o colonil ttitud nd, in ocusing solly on orl critiqu o

te iges, it s lrgely iled to inestigte te politicl coplexi-

ties nd istoriclly situted prctices o production nd consup-


25/32

12

tion tht e involved in photogphys entngleent with othe

cultues. But in ddition to undestnding the histoicl context

o ntropologys inoleent wit potogrpy, questions bout

contporry ntropologicl pprocs to t diu lso ndto be reconsidered.

Anthopology cnnot tet photogphy s soe kind o neu-

trl tecnology or tool, nd te discipline needs to coe to ters

wit questions bout potogrpys identity s ediu i it is to

engge wit it s n object o study nd s orce tt produces cer-

tin kinds o seles nd socil ortions, s well s wole constel-

ltions o iginries nd networks o ny kinds. Potogrpy is

productie o tese ortions, not siply reection o preiously

existing ttitudes. Tere needs to be ocus on oter potogrpic

trditions in ddition to considering potogrpy s tool or rep-

esenting nthopologicl knowledge. Mcus Bnks nd Howd

Morpy e rgued tt conteporry isul ntropology cn be

diided into two strnds. Te rst inoles te use o isul edi in

te gtering nd presenttion o reserc, nd te oter te study

o visul edi theselves s pt o visul systes (Bnks nd

Morpy 997, ). Te ltter potentilly kes potogrpy n ob-

ject o ntropologicl study in itsel. nks nd Morpy go on topopose tht the ocus o visul nthopology includes both the

properties o te ntropologists own representtionl systes . . .

nd the popeties o those visul systes studied by nthopolo-

gists in the eld (21). Anthopologists cn potentilly contibute

uc to te debtes bout edi suc s potogrpy, te identity

o which, despite its 150 yes o histoy nd its globl ech nd

ubiquitous presence in our lies, is still ery uc source o con-

tention (tcen 997).Te photogphy citics John gg (1988) nd Victo Bugin

(98) rgue tt tere is no suc ting s potogrpy in te sense

o singul ediu with unied o univesl identity, only

yid o discontinuous photogphies. ggs ous stteent

tt potogrpy s suc s no idntity is oundd on t notion

tt potogrpys sttus s tcnology is dpndnt on t powr

eltions tht invest it. Photogphy hs no ening in itsel, no

ntue, but is ickeing coss eld o institutionl spces inwic t nings o ny individul potogrp r dpndnt on

te context o its use by stte institutions, suc s te police, nd te

edicl proession (gg 988, 6). gg sees potogrpy s tec-


26/32

13

nology o survillnc. A siilr crcrl pproc s bn doptd

by ecent coenttos on nthopologicl uses o photogphy,

nd tis iew s becoe te in tee in ny criticl studies o

colonil potogrpy (Alloul 987; reen 98; Fris 99, 997).T probl wit tis kind o orl pproc is tt potogrpic

iges re solely seen to reect, in n uncoplicted wy, te con-

cerns nd politicl dispositions o tose wo de te iges, nd

te coplexities o te ctul istoricl circultion nd consup-

tion o te iges re soeties ignored.5 n surizing current

dbts bout t idntity o potogrpy, ory Btcn (1997)

contsts gg with olist poponents o the ediu such s

Ptr lssi (1981), or wo potogrpy is t outco o long

trdition in estern rt nd s specic nture o its own. How-

eer, bot gg nd lssi understnd potogrpy in reltion to

wide cultul sphees nd pctices, only dieing s to whethe

tey re o socil istory or rt istory.

In tking potogrpy s its objct, tis book considrs t intr-

eltionship between indigenous nd Euo-Aeicn pctices

witout collpsing one into te oter. Te book does so to directly

question te nortie lue o Euro-Aericn odels o potog-

rpy nd to proincilize tese troug n etnogrpy o Ro-vin photogphic pctices (Chkbty 1992). Consequently,

te book will reel certin siilrities nd dierences in potogr-

pies in bot geogrpicl loctions nd will tckle questions bout

potogrpys identity tt re iportnt nd productie or ow

ntropology pproces nd uses te ediu.

Erly etnogrpic ccounts ro te western oloons, suc s

Artur Hocrts eldwork in ibo nd Roin in 908, ke in-

triguing pssing reerences to oter isul worlds, suggesting in oneinstnce tt ibo people tougt tt te soul could be cugt

in cer (Hocrt 9, prt ). n ddition to resonting wit

popul Victoin ides bout spiit photogphythe xing o

pntss on potogrpic pltesHocrts exple rises ques-

tions bout locl ides o potogrpys iesis nd its bility to

cpture nd reel sel, nd tis study will sk wt potogrpy

kes isible, nd wt it obscures, or Roin people.

igrid Krcur s rgud tt odrn potogrpy s notonly considerbly enlrged our ision but, in doing so, djusted it to

ns sitution in tcnologicl g (Krcur 1980, 251). It ss

gnrlly ccptd tt potogrpy s prooundly ltrd our pr-


27/32

14

ception o, nd reltion to, te world. Krcuer goes on to suggest

tt potogrpy s been responsible or te dissolution o trdi-

tionl perspecties nd reolution in perception tt brings our

vision, so to spek, up to dte (252). Michel ees hs tlked oow te cer s inuenced odes o perception, ors o cog-

nition, nd systes o knowledge, in eect trnsoring te bsic

ens troug wic we encounter te world. Potogrpy is re-

quently seen s key eleent o odernity, nd tis s inuenced

guents ound the eects o intoducing ce technologies

into oter cultures (erres 98; see lso Fris 99, 99; insburg

99; Micels 99, 99).

n tes o the ipct o new visul edi on oloon

slnders, eorey ite s studied te role o vhS tpes, noting

tt interittent screenings o Hollywood nd Hong Kong ction

ls e etue o lie on nt sbel slnd, pticully o

teenges (White 1991b). Although he is discussing the sitution

in 1988, White suggests tht n inteest in Westen iges hd

ledy led to the developent o new os o oloon slnds

dnce nd usic using Westen os. Jes Weines poleic

on teleisulist ntropology rises iportnt issues or te situ-

tion discussed by White, nd o ny considetion o venculpotogrpic prctices in Roin (einer 997). Aside ro te

new igery inoled, do estern ors suc s ideo nd potog-

phy bing with the thei own etphysic? lking in pticu-

lr bout indigenous edi, einer proposes tt isul represen-

ttion s to be considered in reltion to te prticulr etpysic

tt is reposited in our ige-producing tecnologies, etpysic

tht is just s uch pt o ou cultue nd the socil eltions

though which we live it nd just s ccutely desciptive o it ste djukurb, or Lw or Dreing[,] is teory o lbiri cul-

ture (einer 997, 98). ince it entils te doption o oreign

etphysic, Weine sees the intoduction o visul edi such s

ideo into oter culturl contexts s eecting te replceent o

genuine istoricl, linguistic, socil, nd culturl dierence wit n

erstz dierence ong electronic iges (einer 997, 08). For

einer one negtie eect o te introduction nd doption o new

edi is tnsotion o the sel. Within the visul econoyo Roin, potogrpy potentilly represents new opportunities

nd experiences o sel-iging, s well s new wy o seeing te

world. ut, ltoug potogrpy is n externlly introduced tec-


28/32

15

nology, te extent to wic it is new or represents reolution in

vision nds to b donstrtd rtr tn ssud. As Pinny s

sown, potogrpy is not nw in Indi: Prtly bcus o [] si-

otic nd lexicl slippge, te poto is not clerly rked s od-ern becuse its unctions re duplicted by so ny oter ors o

plpbly ncient representtion (Pinney 997, ).

n ddition to potentilly odernizing our ision, potogrpy

s ltered our sense o te pst, nd in looking t potogrpy in

Roin, will consider its entngleent wit perceptions o pst

nd pesent. Fo Aln chtenbeg the utility o photogphs to

histoy lies not just in wht they show but in how they constuct

thei enings: Te histoicl vlue o photogphs includes de-

piction but goes beyond it (rctenberg 989, xi). t is te wy

tht photogphs llow dieent kinds o histoies to suce nd

rticulte te reltionsip between pst nd present, eory nd

istory tt kes te so useul, s te potogrp tt oer-

ille took deonstrtes. As Edwrds suggests, te relis in wic

our istoricl opes or potogrpy re inested is surpssed wen

ty r bsorbd into ltrntiv istoris (Edwrds 2001). Andrw

Ltts s discussed te wy in wic eory becoes proble-

tized within the context nd feth o the colonil encounte;eory becoes subject to rious rewritings nd becoes n ob-

jct o contntion (Ltts 1996, 262). H strsss t iportnc o

neonic regieste wys in wic eory is orgnizedin

te Pcic, nd e is concerned wit te tecniques, prctices nd

contexts witin wic eory nd orgetting eerge s orces or

editing nd constituting pesent existence (257). Tis ntho-

pologicl pproc rgues tt in order or people to control ow

ty dn tslvs in t prsnt, it is ncssry or t to con-trol ow tey dene teir pst. Meory is edited by te struc-

tures troug wic counities ppreend nd render tie nd

istory signicnt, nd in te Euro-Aericn experience, potog-

phy is centl editing stuctue. Tis book will sk how the

eltion between photogphy nd eoy is gued in Rovin

nd will suggest wys tht it is connected to peexisting Rovin

processes o eoriliztion.

During te tie spent in Roin between 998 nd 00, terews incesing ephsis on the use o coputes; thee wee sev-

erl people, ostly exptrites, wit nternet ccess, nd te ksto

school with which woked hd one copute, lthough it only


29/32

16

unctioned inteittently nd hd no ntenet ccess. Tee wee

soe strnge nolies tt ccopnied tis process o editi-

ztionstories o scools proided wit single coputer troug

oreign id, but wit no nternet ccess nd no books. ut te pro-liertion o digitl edi tt is suc powerul nd ll-consuing

etue o contepoy Euo-Aeicn expeience ws, t tht

point, hving eltively little ipct on Rovin people, nd ce-

tinly vey little ipct outside the cpitl, Honi. No Rovin

prson d digitl still cr nd no on d obil pon; on

locl guestouse ctering inly to exptrites d coputer wit

nternet ccess. On te occsions wen ls were plyed, tey were

still in te or o vhS tpes nd sown on teleision sets powered

by diesel genetos. Te eltively sll-scle ipct o digitl

edi ws ptly due to the politicl nd public-ode pobles

tt were eture o te oloon slnds t tt pointprobles

tt led to srp decline in interest ro externl edi proiders

suc s Austrlin nd outest Asin teleco congloertes. ut

te liited ipct ws lso due to lck o inrstructure. Digitl

iges wee lgely inccessible to locl people becuse o n b-

sence o pysicl support or substrte or te igesno pones

o coputes to view the on, nd no pintes to poduce hdcopies o photogphs. n contst, the copies o chivl photo-

grps tt took to Roin wit e, long wit te ew poto-

grps in peoples possession, d ressuring sense o pysiclity;

tey could be pssed ro nd-to-nd nd eld loingly. Tis will

no doubt cnge nd digitl edi will perps becoe ore wide-

spred, process tt igligts te need or etnogrpic studies

o editiztion in cross-culturl contexts.

Duing y tie in Rovin, used the chivl copy pints opotogrps tt took wit e to tlk to people in wide riety o

contexts, s indiiduls nd s groups o woen, en, nd teengers in

bot orl nd inorl contexts. Ofen groups would or tt rep-

licted wider socil structures; teenge boys would look t te poto-

grps ong teseles (gure P.), or elderly woen would sit on

ts in the shde (gue P.5). Te photogphs ciculted though

wide rnge o dierent encounters, ro excited nd conusing groups

to individul oents o quiet eection. My i in tking thesepotogrps to Roin ws not to ll in te istoricl blnks or un-

covr t istory bind t potogrps to giv t or coplt

cption. wnted to exploe thei opening up into whole nge o


30/32

17

uses. Mny o tese potogrps were on te edge o liing eorynd, lthough the photogphs e undoubtedly egued nd eni-

tedtey cquired lietroug te process o being returned,

ty sotis lso rvld wt ws lost. Tis book xplors tis pro-

cess o renition longside conteporry potogrpic prctices in

Roin nd broder ides o wt potogrpy is or Roin people.

Te book does so troug n etnogrpy o potogrpy in Roin

tt pys close ttention to te words o locl people, nd tis book is

relly series o extended conerstions bout potogrpy, nd boutprticulr potogrps, between ysel nd Roin people, longside

nd entngled wit conerstions tey d ong teseles.

FIgure p.

h-

h, V V

.

FIgure p.

hh, V

V .


31/32


32/32

Prologue

1. All interviews and conversations with Roviana people were translated

in the feld with the individuals involved and, wherever necessary, I have

retained words or phrases in either Roviana dialect or Solomons Pijin. No

names have been changed.

2. Interview with Faletau Leve, Dunde, April 3, 2001.

3. Interview with Faletau Leve, Dunde, November 17, 2000.

4. See Poignant 1992 or a brilliantly illuminating account o similar pro-

cesses in an Australian Aboriginal community.

5. Edwards 1995 and 2001 exempliy a more productive approach.

Chapter 1.Tie VakaTe Men of the Boat

1. Paele were also used as communal houses or men, and as places where

male visitors would stay and where various kinds o ritual and economic

transactions took place.

2. UK Royal Navy Australian Station Correspondence, 18 Pacifc Islands,

Confdential 379, 911. National Library o Australia mm G 17991843.

notes

Documents

The Echo of Things by Christopher Wright