4002 - Amazonia

Amazonia Photographers: Charles Kroehle (1876–1902) and George Hübner (1862–1935). Indigenous Life in the Peruvian Amazon. 1888–91. 7 albumen prints. Each measures approximately 15 x 22 cm. Most are signed “Ch. Kroehle” or “Ch. Kroehle y Hübner” in the negative in the lower margin. The German photographers Charles Kroehle and Georg Hübner are regarded as pioneers of photography in the Peruvian Amazon. Produced during their nearly three-year journey through eastern Peru from 1888 to 1891, these images are among the earliest known photographic records of the Campa (Asháninka), Piro (Yine), Shipibo, Cashibo, and other Indigenous peoples of the region. The series includes group portraits, river travel, hunting, and village scenes, documenting various forms of dress and adornment—including Western-style garments that may indicate contact with nearby European settlements and rubber plantations—as well as weaponry and dwellings. Particularly notable is the rare and well-known portrait of Kroehle and Hübner with Piro people from the Río Ucayali, gathered behind a hunted caiman. – Minor surface irregularities and slight handling creases; some fading, especially along the edges; otherwise, all in good to very good condition. – Includes: 1 albumen print depicting three Andean highlanders