Four men dressed in traditional war attire

A photograph of a large group of bare-footed islanders standing in the background in long dark tops and lighter trousers looking towards the camera. Four men dressed in traditional war-attire stand in the foreground holding long poles with a flattened head in both hands in front of their faces, except the man on the left who is brandishing it in one hand while the other is on his hip. The men are wearing masks painted white with stylised faces. Their near-identical clothing looks to be bound by cord across the whole body and each leg.

The print caption states: 'Ready for war. Lord Islands'.

The specific location of this photograph, and the one above it on the page (ALB0167.71) has not been found, as the War & Peace Islands, Lords Archipelago does not appear on maps or even in Dr R. W. Coppinger's account of the cruise of HMS Alert between 1879-1882.

Object Details

ID: ALB0167.72
Type: Photographic print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: North, Frederick
Date made: 1879-1880
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 113 mm x 182 mm
Parts: The Cruise of HMS Alert in Patagonian and Polynesian Waters, 1879-1882 (Photograph album)