Slums on the Han River Photo

Photographer’s Note

One can hardly imagine what Seoul looked like in the years after the war. As specified in another posting I was in Korea as an officer in the Turkish Brigade in 1956-1957. There was a vast devastation and great poverty. These houses near the Han river Bank showed the immensity of this poverty , and people were suffering. It was December 1956, a very cold month and temperatures went down to a freezing -25'C . So it was no surprise to find out that the sewer water had frozen under the house. The Han river had also frozen, see the snow and the drying laundry.
The picture was taken with my Leica IIIf and a Kodachrome 64 film ( Sent to Hawaii lab for processing )in those years.

don_narayan, KevRyan, PeterC, berek, Galeota, nwoehnl, sharkattack, jinju, PixelTerror, MLINES, vagabondtravels, Jangalbaan, eungbongsan has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

don_narayan (2014) 2005-10-10 11:27

great shot Izzet. I really like these photos of your from a time that has long past (and one the I never knew). you have a done a great job maintaining your photos over the time (50 years!).

KevRyan (22418) 2005-10-10 11:27

Another telling photograph of the times Izzet - maybe no longer such a familiar scene from the Korea of today but certainly not unfamiliar in so many other places in the world.

It must be stirring up all sorts of memories to be looking at these images again - amazing that the film had to go so far for processing!

What a risk!

The frozen water is just remarkable to see as it leaves the house like that.

best wishes Kev

[2]

RGatward (19749) 2005-10-10 11:40

Another fine shot from your archives, and they're all such good scans. What scanner do you use BTW.

PeterC (2242) 2005-10-10 11:52

Izzet,
Wow this is amazing. It sure doesn't look like this now!!! I mean i just can't get over how much this country has changed in 40 years. It has gone from a pverty stricken country to big Asian economy. I can't get wait for your next installment.

DecioLima (197) 2005-10-10 11:53

Bravo!!! Sua foto é um documento histórico, é exelente...parabens!

Abraço!

berek (29019) 2005-10-10 11:57

İzzet bey.

Çok güzel bir anı resmi. 2002 yılında Güney Koredeydim.oldukça gezdim. Tek söyleyeceğim. o günden 2002 ye nasıl geliştikleri. inanılmaz bir fark var.Resmi paylaştığınız için teşekkürler.
saygılarımla.
burak

Galeota (10334) 2005-10-10 13:26

46 years ago. This is amazing Izzet. Even though this is not among my favourites from you, I can't help looking at it and imagining the number of years that keep us apart (us, today) from those days. Great documentary photograph. Love it.

nwoehnl (120) 2005-10-10 14:15

Again an amazing historical photo, Izzet, more than a decade older than I am. Like your other "oldies" this one has stood the test of time and seems as vivid and detailed as it can be. The cold winter day and the chilly freezing scene is well portrayed, and the vertical format certainly is a logical choice to fit this lineup of riverside housing into the frame. Impressive.

sharkattack (268) 2005-10-12 5:13

Hocam benim esim Guney Koreli bu fotografi gosterdim inanilmaz sasirdi boyle biryer olamaz diyerek tepki gosterdi.... ona 1956 dan oldugunu soyleyince gulmeye basladi ve oralarin artik cok cok gelistigini ve o bolgede bircok kopru yapildigini anlatti.....mukemmel bir belgesel........tesekkurler....

jinju (14265) 2005-10-13 7:22

Hi Izzet,

I dont know that Seoul. I know the modern metropolis of 12 million peole full of cars and expensive apartments and luxury cars. You open a window on a not so ancient past and show us something totally new. This is a stunning shot. Well composed, giving us a sense of the size of this place. The quality of the shot is as good as anything modern cameras can do. Fantastic colors and perfect levels.

Where in Seoul is this?

sarhanp (122) 2005-10-13 10:07

Selamlar İzzet Bey, nasıl güzel bir fotoğraf,
tüten dumanın kokusunu bile hissedebilmek mümkün, sanırım digital SLR'lar hiçbir zaman film kullanılan SLR'ların kalitesini yakalayamacak, baksanıza 1956 yılında çekilmiş bir fotoğrafdaki netliğe, renklerin gücüne ve kalitesine, ellerinize sağlık.

keanfan (696) 2005-10-13 14:35

Brilliant! You have really enhanced the value of history through photography.

WorldGuru (172) 2005-10-15 15:24

Poignantly beautiful!

PixelTerror (86839) 2005-10-16 5:38

Salut Izzet,
Encore un tres belle image pour les livres d'histoire et notre plaisir, heureusement qu'il y a la note pour situer cette vue, on est tres loin de la Coree "Samsung" ici. Couleurs et clarte sont superbes, et on sent parfaitement la luminosite et le froid de l'hiver, j'apprecie aussi le cadrage vertical qui permet de tirer le meilleur parti de cette belle perspective. Je n'ai jamais ete en Coree mais voyant les photos de Rafal je mesure ici le chemin parcouru en presque 50 ans.
Bon week end,
Jean-Yves

MLINES (10966) 2005-11-01 12:41 [Comment]

Show Comment

jinsoo (32) 2006-05-30 23:15

hello izzet
Really surprising to see this picture of Seoul in 1950s.
it's amazing color is still vivid as if taken yesterday.
historical photo.

Koreans never forget the help given to us by you all
50 years ago. thanks.

Jangalbaan (2) 2007-02-01 21:00

Fantastic photo. Thanks for sharing.