#traveling in the 19th century

[lesewut]

"I spoke to a man who has been to hell."

“World-Travels - Contributions to the Country and Nations, III. Volume ” by Prof. Dr. Phil. Wilhelm Joest. Published 1895 in Berlin by Imberg & Lefson. Three volumes with thirteen plates and one card. The book is devided in four parts: The Ainu - Siberia - Habit of Eating Lices - Eau de Cologne Drinking

Travel reports from the past are combining cultural aspects with the feeling of trippin' into history. Suddenly all the bygone events are relatively vivid through your inner eyes, the native folks that were rare at that time, are nowadays forgotten, but brought to live through words. Sometimes those ethnic minorities are all of a sudden submerged, without a hint, lost without trace and if they enter again the earthy stage, they kind of seem half mystified. It is also not really possible to tell how many assimilated with the local society, in fact, it will often stay a guessing like speculation, when it comes to the knowledge of the own ancestry. Which is also again a sign, that all kind of man-set-borders can be crossed... Nevertheless, it is always a gain to read about less known folks and cultures. The human history is full of interesting cultural habits and the many aspect that influenced the customs, practices and traditions.

In this travelouge Prof. Joest is presenting the Ainu (or Aino, Utari) Folk. With caution should some parts been read, but according to my reception, even if some statements are shining with social darwinian interpretation, it really surpised me, that the description of the Ainu Folk as "more European" than "Mongolian" looking has evidences from the newest research results: It is not clear how and why, but it seems that the Ainu were not an homogeneous group (less than usual in tribal unions) as they have reached "Japan", 14,000 years before the Common Era. Despite the descriptions, Prof. Joest is critisising researches of using his findings, as their own (documents he published, where integrated as own research and development. So allegations of plagiarism is not a phenomenon of modern times. And the accusation goes on in the report about Siberia. George Kennan, an American explorer, who was noted for his travels in several regions of the Russian Empire, wrote about Siberia in three volumes.

Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.

Prof. Joest is criticising Kennan's lack of authenticity, comparing his report as "speculative backstairs of the novelist" and that the representation were hyperbolic. Through the distortion of events, Kennan would "blurring of the reader's judgement". The used sources are questionable, the interviewed persons, used as "key witnessess" (mostly young political prisoners of female gender) are giving incorrect information to awake (false) sympathy. What is very notable, is that Prof. Joest is frequently using the term "Russophobia" to describe the motivation of Kennan. In the way of presenting the prisoners as "innocently locked in" and "in other circumstances, they would have been appreciative for the fatherland", the report of Siberia turns fastly into a scarestory. And still today, the collective memory is getting shivering fit, when thinking about this ice desert, known for forced deportations and gulags.

Due to lack of time an energy, I will present the following part in notes:

Correction & True Statements

-> Underground dungeons, blood on the walls and hard, forced labor

Kennan has never seen those underground dungeons - the blood is the result of bedbugs pressed to death by the prisoners - lack of work would be the reality (cf. Dostoevsky "The House of the Dead", do not want to tell too much, but for me Dostoevsky is the hero for the forgotten of society, he survived those horrors becoming a better human-being, washed in the same basin with the others and felt every distance too much, wanting to bridge with brotherhood, but Oscar Wilde drowned in the basin of his heavy narcissism...)

-> Overcrowded prisons

At this time, Europe had to struggle with overcrowded prisons and it can be seen as a fundamental problem (cf. Mazas Prison in Paris or Plötzensee in Berlin) - How often I had to think of Marx and how he emphasized the higher standard of living in the prison in comparison with the everyday life of the labouring poor (more space, food and warmth in the prison!) plus it was common, that Russian convicts were accompanied by the whole family...

-> Tolstoi is lacking pathos for the situation of the inmates

Kennan is contracicting himself, as he mentions "The Count apparantly did not even want to be charitable to men and women, whose actions he disapproved of." In addition, Tolstoi should not be count as a judge for morals :')

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Recommended travelogue about Siberia

Experienced traveller and with respects of Katherina II. "On Sledge and Horseback to Outcast Siberian lepus." by Kate Marsden

"Best book that was available about Siberia" wrote Prof. Joest about "Siberia" by Jadrinzew, translated by Prof. Petri-Bern

Well traveled pastor "Through Siberia" by Landsdell

Experienced and traveled extensively "Siberia As It Is" by Harry De Windt

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Side note:

The parts "Habit of Eating Lices" & "Eau de Cologne Drinking" has really frightened me, particularly the "creativity" of human to get intoxicated by alcohol, wether there are import bans or prohibitions, always are new ways found. First I thought, that the lices-theme would psychologically evoke itching, honestly it did, but it was nothing compared to the shocks I conquered with Eau de Cologne... You just can not imagine, what especially fine aristocratic women, used as gadgetry to get their dosis of alcohol. So many hidden alcoholics, trying to conceal their addiction and falling even deeper. Fake flowers with sprayers of alcohol, amputated fingers to hide little bottles in the gloves, walking sticks as movable bars... Fascinating and scaring at the same time!

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830–1902), "Among the Sierra Nevada, California" (detail), 1868

[steampunktendencies]

A metal and leather straight-back dresser trunk from around 1890. Designed with the savvy traveler in mind, this trunk converted from a standard steamer trunk into a functional dresser, meaning you didn't have to unpack your belongings during your journey.

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 67: Assorted Performances VI

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct grouping.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration.

[nemfrog]

A sea serpent seizing a sailor. Sea monsters unmasked. 1883.

Internet Archive

[useless-catalanfacts]

The Dipòsit de les Aigües Library, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia.

This library is set up in a 19th-century water reservoir located in the heart of Barcelona. After 100 years of different uses -old people's home, storage for the fire brigade, car park for the local police department, archive for the Court of Justice- it became property of the Pompeu Fabra University in 1992. Since then, it's the university's library.

Photos by Arq Foto, Burçin Yildirim on Flickr, and The ISA Journal.

[urban-lad]

Late-nineteenth-century watercolor portraits of indigenous North-African men by Spanish painter Josep Tapiró i Baró (1836-1913).

[drainbangle]

updated designs for healer swap 🍃✨

[escapismsworld]

📍Pont street, Knightsbridge, London 🇬🇧

A Blue Plaque marks where Jane Austen stayed with her brother in a house on this site 1814 - 1815

[leilacanno]

Let hook up💋

[yorksnapshots]

Seen from the Walls.

From the Roman walls of York, The Victorian Principal Hotel. Opened May 1878 as the Royal Station Hotel.

[lionofchaeronea]

Train Tracks at the Saint-Lazare Station, Claude Monet, 1877

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830–1902), "Rocky Mountain Landscape" (detail), 1870

[thebeautifulbook]

ZIG ZAG JOURNEYS SERIES

ZIG ZAG JOURNEYS IN CLASSIC LANDS // … IN EUROPE (Boston: Estes & Lauriat, c. 1890) Illustrated.

ZIG ZAG JOURNEYS IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST // … IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

ZIG ZAG JOURNEYS IN NORTHERN LANDS

ZIG ZAG JOURNEYS IN THE OCCIDENT // … IN THE ORIENT

[All these titles are available from the Internet Archives which is currently offline]

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question : 19th Century IV and Earlier

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct grouping.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration.

[nemfrog]

Carried through the sky by a team of doves. A manual of cheirosophy. 1885.

Internet Archive