The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-09
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Portrait of the Human Race.

dents there which was at first nm,
down to religious scruples ".
the aversion to the camera w.
quickly overcome at the sight ~
money. The picturesque peoDIa -
the oasis had found a demand TO-
their portraits with the backgro,,,5
OF their romantic hannts 80
thrifty put a price on their GO
operation. ~
On the island of Maarken. in tJol
land, nearly everyone is nrira-j,,.
poser for the Grant camers -
But there, too, this posing Is Co.
price Daily these tsIan5a.a
young and old, attire themselves in
the old-fashloned Dutch costume
and are willing prey for the bn1t'
er with the camera-ff first fbo,-
palms are crossed with silver A.
Volendam, Holland, where the cos
tune differs, the same situation
exists.
The Suspicious Aim,
The ancient aboriginaIs of Jan
an, the Ainu race, have strong dis
inclination to the camera ana
neither money nor gifts will we,n
them away from this aversion Onlv
persuasion OF the most diplomats
quality will gain Ainu pictures for
the geographic photographer. These
people, supposedly a white race in
the nOrthernmost islands of tina
Japan group, are in a low state of
civilization, worshippers of the
bear, and nearly every one con-
win
the camera box. They believe thar
they will wither away and die If
they submit to having their pic
lures taken.
The organization founded for the
purpose of humanizing geography
has turned eagerly to pictures taken
from airplanes and balloons. Many
of these have been obtained ami
published because they are found
to be of great use in teaching geog-
raphy in schools and homes of the
country Entire cities as well as
the wonderful topography of great
stretches of country can be shown
in a single graphic picture. Air
men the world over are working
hand in glove with the society in
this development.
Grave dangers often threaten
the wandering camera man. The
staff men of the organization havs
repeatedly been in tight places in
many corners of the world, but thus
far have come through unscatChed.
One of them, recently returned from
a long trip to many curious bywaYs
or the world, states that the worst
situation in which he found him
self was during the fighting be-
tween the northern and southern
factions in China in 1919. The land
lying between the two military
forces was overrun with brIganIs,
and he had heard that opium was
being made there, with the conniy-
ance of some of the leaders of both
Chinese armies.
Il wanted to get some pictures
of this opium business" he said.
in spite of warnings by the doz-
en-, l went into this territory. BY
adopting a policy OF the utmost
frankness with the men I met. tell
ing them that I had heard that OPT
un was being made again, and that
| wanted to make pictures OF the
poppy fields, l eventually managed
to disarn suspicion of any more
sinister designs on my part. and
after a good many exciting adVen-
lures, l got my pictures.
Perhaps one good picture out Of
ten shots" can be called a good av-
erage for even the expert camera
man; because a picture must con
tain the important components If
human interest, artistic grouping,
the very necessary quality Of be-
ing educational, and must be cap
able Of good reproduction It some
times happens that a chance snap
shot becomes the finest sort OF
prize. Such was the case recent
ly when John Oliver La GorCe, as
sociate editor of the National Geo
graphic Magazine, while on the way
to try to rediscoVer the glorious
fiamingo on a lonely island of the
Bahama group, snapped an old-time
sQuare-rigged ship under full sail,
bravely racing along in the middle
of the gulf stream of the FLORIDA
coast This picture was snapped
from the heaving deck Of 4 little
yacht as it crossed the old hoOkers
bow. From an enlargement of this
was obtained the front
ispiece of a recent issue of me
Geographic, and it has become
probably the best known picture OF
a sailing ship in the world. for not
only has it gone into 100000 homes
throughout the nation, with the so
cietys publication, but many thou
came from all over the globe.