These are the photos from a big photo collection of Albert Kahn devoted to Mongolia visited by a photographer Stefan Passe in 1913.
Mongolia declared independence from China in 1911. It was under protectorate of the Russian Empire at the time of Passe’s journey, with full autonomy and own theocratic leaders. But, after only 1 year of protectorate, Russian Empire recognized suzerainty of China over Mongolia. The country from the point of view of a civilized European was a shocking feodalic reservation.
National Geographic magazine published this shot with a description: “A Mongolian woman sentenced to starvation death”, though this box could be used just as a portable prison popular among nomadic people.
“Two Cossack soldiers in Urga, 1913″ – representatives of a minor contingent as the symbol of the Russian protectorate.
Probably the best photo – a hunter in vicinity of Urga, 1913
Carriage of Stefan Passe between Kykhta and Urga (flags of Russia and France are on the photo)
Mongolian capital – Urga (Ulan Bator today), 23 June 1913.
Urga in 1913
Street in Urga
Temple in Urga
Stupas in a monastic block Gandan in Urga.
Lama
Lamas at the Yellow Palace
Married woman in Urga
Triumphal Gates of the Yellow Palace in Urga
Badamdorj in vicinity of the Yellow Palace, Urga, 1913
Mongolian yurtas
Nomadic settlement in Inner Mongolia. China, 1912 (a shot from the previous expedition to China)
Two Buryat riders in Troitskosavske (a district town of the Zabaikalsk region, 4 versts from the Chinese border)
In 1921 wind of change came to Mongolia and a new epoch began.
via prophotos-ru
Color photos in 1912? Not likely. More likely at least 1935. Extremely difficult to process color film before the mid 1930′s. Possible? yes. Likely, no.
Look up Sergei Prokudin Gorsky. He largely pioneered color photography. The photo development may have been difficult but these photos are original.
Yes the pictures are authentic. Us Westerners just do not accept that we did not invent everything
Hand tinted photos were also sometimes used in this period by National Geographic. The quality of the hand tinting was equivalent to color photos. Indeed, as it was done by hand by an artist, it has a beauty all its own. One photo above says in the the caption it’s from National Geographic. Also, as Vorontsevich points out Gorsky pioneered color photography. Indeed, his photos are on EnglishRussia.com, I think.
what’s with the White-Red-Blue flag in the 4th pic?