Market-place, men only, a photo from Kunduz, East

Photographer's Note

A picture taken almost 37 years ago, May 1973, in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan. It would probably not look much different today. It was the day of the weekly market and people had arrived from the surrounding villages to make business. But very few women could be seen in the streets or the market-places. It was an almost entirely male world. And still today, regardless of the type of government, Afghanistan is totally dominated by the men.
This was scanned from a Kodachrome slide.

Buin, saxo042, pauloog, bukitgolfb301, Gerrit, papera, ellelloo, kato, abmdsudi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Buin (42088) 2010-04-08 1:11

Good morning Gert!
An "old" photo from quite another world. All these men, these faces look rather skeptically to the photographer. A world without women, a world made for men? A somehow fascinating picture.
Greetings from springlike Germany!
Frank

aristo (3212) 2010-04-08 2:22

Hell Gertz!
Great qality of this old photo.
And composition is outstanding,world without women that what Afghanistan is!Amazing!
Best Regards,

Arek

jasmis (57596) 2010-04-08 2:31

Dense photo. Full of oriental colours.
Another gem from a deep drawer.
Regards my dear friend.

wolf38 (28300) 2010-04-08 2:55

Hi Gert. Afghanistan. A country in the focus of the world. In the tribal structures and the self-image has changed very little there. Although the photograph was taken in 1973, it is current. A really worth seeing image. Regards, Wolfgang.

rikko77 (10849) 2010-04-08 4:19

beautiful one, Gert, a jump in the past...1973...I love market place, last week I was in the souk of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the scene was quite similar: only men, lots of goods all around, no tourists (Saudi Arabia is not under tourist invasion, not yet), colors, scents...beautiful place the market. Thank you so much for this trip back in time!
have a good day
Rikk

mehrdad-t (2293) 2010-04-08 8:14 [Comment]

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saxo042 (31862) 2010-04-08 12:32

Hej Gert,
A very good documentary photo with all these men, and no women. They all seem to look straight at you, did they question your capture and your presence at all?
A very interesting scene, after all these years!
Hälsningar
Gunnar

Glint (5579) 2010-04-08 13:17

hello gert,
another fascinating photograph from your archives.It scares me that the women are so invisible..as if they hardly have a right exist. What a life! No wonder Steve McCurry's green eyed girl looked so worn down in the picture taken of her in adulthood.her eyes told that she had seen hell and been there and no one had noticed...aftyer all, she is "only" a woman.
Bev

pauloog (11735) 2010-04-08 14:30

Hello Gert,
Will this picture be timeless or will this society change ? Who knows the answer ? An intriguing photo, thanks to your note.
Regards,
Paul

emka (59010) 2010-04-08 15:41

Hi Gert,

37 years ago??? It looks like made today - I mean the colours and quality. How it is possible? Certainly, Kodachrome were much better than ORWOchrom we had. My slides from that time (I made the first slides in 1971) are in bad state. Fantastic photo - world of men in turbans. What they buy here and sell? For many it is just place for a meeting.
You have an amazing archive and what memories...

Regards
Malgorzata

agjika (4103) 2010-04-09 1:44

Hi Gert,

It looks like you took this photo yesterday! What strikes me the most in this photo is the conforming of all these men (appart from the young man in the front!) to what is seen as the acceptable fashion of clothing, beards, turbans etc..

We humans do not necessarily need a strong central government to force us to such strict codes.

Thanks for sharing

Aleks

fanni (13874) 2010-04-09 2:45

Hej Gert,
this photo immediately reminded me of another similar photo which I've seen in your gallery: "Market square", and it was taken in Yemen :-) men only...... see it here.
Interesting photo :) it's really a totally different world!
But I wonder why you cropped the top of the image? Or, vice versa, you cropped the bottom, maybe?

warm greetings from sunny Moscow,
Elena

bukitgolfb301 (30401) 2010-04-09 16:12

Hello my dear Gert

The description of the chaos is marvelous indeed!
You did a great job again indeed!
Thanks for sharing and have a good Saturday!
Best regards,
Takero

mafegan (8622) 2010-04-10 0:31

Hello Gert
Such a clear image. What I find most striking is the clarity of the clothing - the textures, folds and the variety of colours make this photo come alive. Excellent scan - one of your best! Tfs, Marlene

artesia (957) 2010-04-10 0:55

Hey Gert!! This is easily one of my favorite photo of your documentary collection! so much details, so alive, the energy were all captured in this well cropped photo.
It's like a photo shooting scene that you gather all people to be in a picture.

What else to say Afghanistan is another devastating true story happening in our world. I feel for the absence of the woman here, the most dangerous place to live for woman and children. I hope one day someone or you will take picture of the market with more woman present living their life and more freedom :-(

Thank you for the picture.

Have a great weekend. Talk soon after my 3 weeks holiday :-)

Artesia

Gerrit (43745) 2010-04-10 2:37

Hi Gerd,
Fine market photo with a lot to see and enjoy in well controlled light and good colors.
regards, Gerrit

SteveH (6157) 2010-04-10 18:44

Hi Gert, I haven't made it to Afghanistan so enjoy these images, especially with the histroical context. Great scan quality in this presentation and lots of detail preserved. Cheers, Steve

ellelloo (6570) 2010-04-21 8:19

Hej Gert,
Again a wonderful scan from your archives. The quality is amazing. The set looks like from a film, so alive. An attractive and excellent TE contribution!
Hälsningar,
Lasse

devimeuxbe (58557) 2010-04-23 12:31

Hi Gert
this is an interesting report on the old Afghanistan. The local life is probably different now.
A precious document.
Well done
Bertrand

npecanhuk (54221) 2010-04-23 12:35

Hi Gert!
Incredible the cultural differences that pictures like this one bring up! Men only... in the market-place! Women cannot use their husbands credit cards... in a certain way, that'd be interesting!
Superb picture, with an excellently chosen pov and a successful composition! Sharpness, exposure and colors are all very good here too!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

swiatopelk777 (0) 2010-05-14 15:51

Hi Gert!
Very interesting scene. Very fine men. Good point of view. Perefct shot. Ideal scan. Good picture.
Greetings from Warszawa!

kato (7086) 2011-08-07 23:35

Hello Gert,

You're capturing well this crowded market scene by a good composition and excellent tone, so it's impressive and interesting to see the market of Afghanistan. It's interesting that there are man only in market as you note, too. And, it's impressive that there are a lot of people in here and their beard & turban on head.
Freshness is not lost though it is an old photograph.

Regards,
mikio

abmdsudi (27118) 2013-01-14 7:30

Hi Gert
A nice image of a vibrant market place where men are in total control. Some are fully engrossed with their business while others watching the lens in anxiety and mix of characterful faces in more than one sense of the word with lots of interest. It's hectic at the best times & a large crowd of people like this always makes for a good street scene. But indeeed a fine visual description of a past era and abundant of local flavours of an amazing place to visit then. The most handsome man looks more like a Caucasian than Afghan! Lovely everyday scene and you have captured the atmosphere so well. Another splendid shot from your archive. Congrats
Warm regards