F - Provence - Backyard in Sospel

F - Provence - The picturesque village of Moustier

Examples of partially underground pit houses, the oldest permanent shelter constructed by Southwest Indian people. Made of twigs and branches covered with mud they sheltered the inhabitants from the heat in the summer and cold in the winter. - Reconstruction of a Mogollon pit house; depth of the floor: 32 inches, Three Rivers Petroglyph Site (New Mexico).

An Ozette longhouse has been reconstructed inside of the Makah Cultural and Research Center. The wall and ceiling planks were movable and could be shifted to suit the weather conditions. Fish were hung from the ceiling rafters for drying or smoking. Living areas and fire pits were separated from each other so that several families could occupy the same house.

In the 1930s, the Stikine Tlingit moved to Wrangell, where they built a ceremonial house on the small island in the harbor. The house was ceremoniously opened in 1940. The painting on the front indicates it is a bear clan house.

The back wall inside the house is painted in a design based on a Chilkat blanket. The two house posts carved with killer whales and, on the right, with cuttlefish, are copies of old, decayed posts. They were added in 1985 and dedicated by means of a potlatch

Similar to other Northwest Coast villages, the new community centers are being modeled on traditional building styles. This is the longhouse of New Aiyansh, on which a thunderbird and several killer whales have been painted.

The new ceremonial house in Kitwancool and the mythical Will-a-daugh with her wood worm child on a replica of an old totem pole symbolize the Indian tradition.

During the renaissance of traditional Kwakiutl culture, a large ceremonial house was built in Alert Bay at the initiative of the former chief, James Sewid. It is 15 meters (49 feet) wide, 21 meters (69 feet) long and 5.1 meters (17 feet) high. The center's opening on June 18, 1966, was planned to coincide with the Centennial of the Province of British Columbia. The front is decorated with an enormous killer whale, the door is protected by the figure of a guardian.

Of the four supporting posts of the ceremonial house in Alert Bay, the two posts in back are identically carved with the figure of the forest giantess Tsonoquoa with a thunderbird. The cross beam represents the two-headed sea monster Sisiutl. The carving was done by a local artist, Henry Speck. The board wall, which shields the sacred part of the ceremonial house, depicts a thunderbird and a killer whale.

In 1980 the Nimkish Kwakiutl in Alert Bay opened the new Umista Cultural Centre. Its front, decorated with a thunderbird and killer whale, is patterned after an old chiefs house.

The traditional and the contemporaneous: Are the totem pole and the television antennae the symbols of modern life for Indian people? The answer is probably "yes," reflecting the ambiguous attitude of the residents of this house toward their native culture. Many native people find it difficult to be proud of their history and tradition. For 100 years they have been told that their traditional way of life is uncivilized and to distance themselves from it as fast and as completely as possible. It is not easy to reconcile today's white world with the valuable cultural elements of the past.

The fishing harbor of Port Albion on Ucluelet Inland, where the Ucluelet Nootka have a small reservation. Originally they also lived on Long Beach, which is now a part of Pacific Rim National Park.

Friendly Cove on Nootka Sound where James Cook once ancKored and where the Swiss-English documentary artist, John Webber, captured the first images that the Europeans received of the Nootka. The Mowachaht Confederation made an annual migration to the Sound for a communal whale hunt. One of their communities was located at this site, which they called Yuquot, "where the four winds blow." Today Friendly Cove (the Yuquot Reserve) is inhabited by only a half-dozen people.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
La demeure des Indiens de la Cordillère des Andes est faite de briques en boue séchée, appelées adobes, recouvertes ou non de chaux. Elle est surmontée d'un toit de chaume. La maison se compose d'une seule pièce qui sert à la fois de cuisine, de chambre à coucher et de grenier où l'on garde les récoltes. - Près de la pierre de Sayhuite entre Abancay et Cuzco - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Longeant les Barracas en pente et restaurées des antiques agriculteurs, cent escaliers qui totalisent plus de trois mille marches et hauts paliers relient les deux cent soixante palais, temples, sanctuaires, thermes, autels sacrificiels, cavernes à momies et jardins «suspendus» de cet «hymne de pierre», Machu Picchu, qui est un véritable défi à la nature et qui conserve tous ses secrets!

Jirón de la Unión, on the west side of the Plaza de Armas in Lima. On the right the building of the ‘Club de la Unión’. - Peru - Lima - 1969

Near the large port of the Argentine capital is the famous neighbourhood of «La Boca», where, according to popular myth, the tango is said to have originated - which is not entirely true. From the middle of the 19th century onwards, thousands of immigrants came to the country. They settled more or less everywhere, but showed a certain preference for the Buenos Aires area. There were many Italians among them. They liked it particularly well in «La Boca». This district consists of small, nested houses made of corrugated iron, painted in vivid colours, which make up all its charm. The inhabitants, called porteños, earn their living from a wide variety of activities in the capital's huge port. «La Boca» is a centre of attraction for tourists in search of the exotic. - 1973

Near the large port of the Argentine capital is the famous neighbourhood of «La Boca», where, according to popular myth, the tango is said to have originated - which is not entirely true. From the middle of the 19th century onwards, thousands of immigrants came to the country. They settled more or less everywhere, but showed a certain preference for the Buenos Aires area. There were many Italians among them. They liked it particularly well in «La Boca». This district consists of small, nested houses made of corrugated iron, painted in vivid colours, which make up all its charm. The inhabitants, called porteños, earn their living from a wide variety of activities in the capital's huge port. «La Boca» is a centre of attraction for tourists in search of the exotic. - Calle Suarez 179 - 1973

The settlement of settlers from Wales in the valleys of southern Argentina represented the first stage of a comprehensive colonisation programme. Welsh people even ventured into the Andes range. Their intention was to promote agriculture and exploit mineral resources in this part of Argentina. North and west of the Río Chubut, they discovered virgin land as they advanced into the long valleys of the Sierra. The picture shows the interior of a colonial home in Gaiman (Chubut province), an important settlement. This home belongs to Miss Mainwen Williams, the 70-year-old daughter of an Argentinian mother and a Welsh father. Her family includes nine siblings. All the objects that decorate the house are about eighty years old, so they date from the first period of immigrant settlement in this region. There is a small Welsh museum in Gaiman. - 1973

The historical monument Posta de la Angostura is a post dating from colonial times, located in the middle of Quebrada de Humahuaca, within the department of Tilcara, in the province of Jujuy. - 1973

View of the houses in the Panama City slum. - 1977

In the shanty town of Colón at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side. The wooden houses of the old neighbourhoods are mainly inhabited by black people. They come mainly from Colombia and some Caribbean islands and have retained many of the customs of their people. Most of these people work in the Panama Canal Zone. - 1977

Old wooden house in the shanty town of Colón at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side. This old neighbourhood is mainly inhabited by black people, mainly from Colombia and some Caribbean islands, who have retained many of the customs of their people. Most of these people work in the Panama Canal Zone. - 1977

Facade of an old warehouse in the city of Colón at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side. - 1977

Impression from the shanty town of Colón at the mouth of the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side. - 1977

A guard sits at the entrance to the León rectory. On the wall is written "Defendámonos unidos la violación de nuestros derechos" (Let us defend together the violation of our rights). - 1977

The Cobán region of Guatemala is essentially mountainous. It belongs to the great Cuchumatanes range, the northern branch of the Sierra Madre proper, which crosses the entire country from east to west. It is a well-watered sector of the national territory with abundant rainfall and fertile soil. The inhabitants, Indians and Métis, are engaged in farming and raising domestic animals. They live in modest wooden houses. - 1977

Mosaic of fields on approach to the airport of Quezaltenango, Guatemala. - 1977

House construction near San Jerónimo in the department of Baja Veracruz. The roof is covered with sugar cane leaves and can serve up to 15 years before it needs to be renewed. - 1977

A canal runs through the town of Belize. It is lined with houses of characteristic architecture. The corrugated iron roofs are a fairly effective protection against your inclement climate, marked by abundant rainfall. In British Honduras, rainfall reaches at least three metres per year. At times, your significant drop in atmospheric pressure heralds the appearance of a cyclone that has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and then moves towards your islands in the West Indies, still affecting your northern regions of Central America. - 1978

The majority of the inhabitants of Belice are coloured, Mayan, Mestizo, Antillean, Mulatto, Syrian, Lebanese and Chinese. All these people speak a language with Spanish, English and French elements. British Honduras or Belize is a small country that is hardly spoken of, at least not in Europe. - 1978

Tarfaya est une petite ville du Sahara occidental située directement sur l'océan Atlantique, près du cap Juby. - Western Sahara - 1968

Entrance to an old house in Smara in the north of Western Sahara. - 1968

Oualata is an oasis town in the administrative region of Hodh Ech Chargui in south-eastern Mauritania. It was one of the most important trading centres of the caravans (gold and salt trade), but also the meeting point of pilgrims to Mecca. - Mauritania - 1970

View of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Nouakchott's convenient location on the Atlantic Ocean in the south of the country was chosen in 1958 to build a capital for the newly independent country on the site of a village with 500 inhabitants at the end of the French colonial period. Due to the rural exodus caused by economic crises and droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, it has since grown, largely unplanned, to over one million inhabitants. A large proportion of those who have moved in live in sprawling neighbourhoods in cheap accommodation with inadequate infrastructure in all areas. - Mauritania - 1968

These unique houses with the baobab tree in the background can be found in the small village of Somo, which lies between Bamako and Ségou. - Mali - 1969

The town of Filingué is located northeast of the capital Niamey, on the border of the transition zone between the Sahel and the Sahara. - Decorated house in Filingué - Niger - 1970

Richly decorated house in Tahoua, an important trading centre. The large market is a meeting place for the different ethnic groups every Sunday. - Niger - 1970

Malacca is a historic city in Malaysia that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is known for its Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial heritage. It is a popular tourist destination due to its unique architecture, diverse temples, the Melaka River and its gastronomy. The picture shows an old, weathered building with a striking wooden spiral staircase on the outside. – 1990

The picture shows a street scene in Colombo, on Wolfendhal Street in Pettah in 1990. The façade of the damaged Abdeen building can be seen. On the ground floor are small shops such as Lanka Stores. A typical tuk-tuk can be seen on the street. Next to the shops is the Christian St. Paul's Chapel.

Traditional huts with roofs made of palm fronds, situated directly alongside the waterways in the backwaters of Alleppey in Kerala. This region is famous for its extensive network of canals, rivers and lakes, lined with lush tropical vegetation and coconut palms. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house in the Thar Desert. This distinctive architectural style is particularly common in the village of Khuri, near Jaisalmer. The houses are made of mud, clay and cow dung, which provides natural insulation in the extreme heat of the desert. The striking geometric patterns in white, ochre and reddish-brown are typical of this region and are often applied by the women of the village using natural pigments. – 1990

A traditional house in the village of Khuri, situated in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The walls are mostly made of a mixture of clay, straw and cow dung, which provides natural insulation in the extreme desert climate – keeping the house cool in summer and warm in winter. The striking geometric patterns on the exterior walls are called mandana. These ritual wall paintings are traditionally created by women using lime (white) and red clay (geru) to protect the house and invite good fortune. Typical features include the flat roofs, small windows to keep out the heat, and the distinctive wooden door, often painted turquoise or blue. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house in the Thar Desert. This distinctive architectural style is particularly common in the village of Khuri, near Jaisalmer. The houses are made of mud, clay and cow dung, which provides natural insulation in the extreme heat of the desert. The striking geometric patterns in white, ochre and reddish-brown are typical of this region and are often applied by the women of the village using natural pigments. – 1990

The picture shows traditional Mandana art, one of the oldest forms of tribal painting in India. These murals adorn the mud-brick houses of Khuri in the Thar Desert. Mandanas are painted to protect homes from evil spirits and to welcome the gods (particularly the goddess Lakshmi) into the house. The geometric patterns symbolise the cosmic order and spiritual balance. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house in the Thar Desert. This distinctive style of architecture is particularly common in the village of Khuri, near Jaisalmer. The houses are built from mud, clay and cow dung, which provides natural insulation in the extreme heat of the desert. The roofs are traditionally thatched with straw or brushwood to keep the interiors cool. – 1990

A scene from the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer. The building is a typical mud-brick house with thick walls that keep the interior cool by day and warm by night. The stepped, white-framed doorway is a characteristic architectural feature of this region. A woman wearing a colourful red odhni (veil) balances a water pot on her head, a daily task in water-scarce desert areas. Cattle are an integral part of daily life in Indian desert villages. – 1990

A scene from the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer. The building is a typical mud-brick house with thick walls that keep it cool by day and warm by night. The stepped, white-framed doorway is a characteristic architectural feature of this region. A woman wearing a colourful red odhni (veil) balances a water pot on her head, a daily task in water-scarce desert areas. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house in the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert. These houses are characterised by their hand-painted walls, which often feature colourful geometric patterns in shades of red, yellow and white. In the foreground is a girl in a bright pink robe, carrying a bowl on her head – a typical scene from daily life in the rural regions of Rajasthan. – 1990

The houses in the village of Khuri are traditionally built from mud, straw and cow dung, which provides natural insulation against the extreme heat of the desert. The geometric patterns and motifs on the whitewashed walls are typical of the region around Jaisalmer and Barmer. They are often painted using natural pigments such as lime (white) and red ochre (reddish-brown). Many of these houses have conical, thatched roofs known as ‘jhumpas’. – Cattle are an integral part of daily life in Indian desert villages. – 1990

The picture shows traditional Mandana art, one of the oldest forms of tribal painting in India. These murals adorn the mud-brick houses of Khuri in the Thar Desert. Mandanas are painted to protect homes from evil spirits and to welcome the gods (particularly the goddess Lakshmi) into the house. The geometric patterns symbolise the cosmic order and spiritual balance. – 1990

A scene from the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. The houses are made of mud, straw and cow dung, which provides natural insulation against the extreme desert heat. The white, stepped patterns on the brown mud walls are typical of the region’s folk art, often known as Mandana art. – 1990

Traditional way of life in Khuri in the Thar Desert. A typical mud-brick house with thick walls for natural cooling. A white façade with a striking green wooden door and decorative geometric patterns on the walls. A clothesline in front of the house with colourful garments. A large clay pot (matka) for cooling water and metal drinking cups on the veranda. On the right of the picture, a traditional Indian bed, a charpai, is leaning against the wall. – 1990

A scene from the traditional village of Khuri. The photograph captures the essence of rural life in this arid region, where architecture and craftsmanship are closely intertwined with the surrounding environment. In the background, a couple can be seen at a spinning wheel (charkha), a symbol of the traditional production of yarn from wool or cotton, which is still widespread in the villages of the Thar Desert. The open courtyard in front of the house is the centre of daily life, where people work, eat and socialise. – 1990

A view of the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The houses are built from mud and cow dung, which provides excellent insulation against the extreme heat of the desert. The white decorations (mandana) around the door and on the walls are typical of Rajasthan. The clay pots (matkas) in front of the house are traditionally used to cool water. – 1990

A man wearing a white turban sits in front of a traditional mud house in Khuri. The house is made of mud, which provides natural cooling in the desert region of Rajasthan. The decorative patterns on the wall are characteristic of the regional village style. – 1990

These buildings in the desert town of Jaisalmer are constructed from the characteristic golden-yellow sandstone of the Thar region. These historic mansions (havelis) dominate the streetscape of the old town. Of particular note are the intricately carved stone balconies with their delicate patterns. – 1990

A lively street scene in a historic, narrow alleyway typical of the architecture in Jaisalmer. The walls and floor are rendered in warm, earthy tones, some adorned with white frames around the doors. The paths are narrow and paved with large stone slabs, which is typical of old fortified towns in Rajasthan. In the middle of the alley, a man stands by a handcart laden with large metal containers, presumably selling milk or water. – 1990

The picture shows the traditional exterior wall of a mud house in the Jaisalmer area of Rajasthan, decorated with the intricate traditional folk art known as Mandana art. This wall decoration is one of the oldest forms of tribal art in India. It is traditionally applied to walls and floors by women. The paintings are created for festive occasions such as Diwali, weddings or births. They serve to protect the house, welcome deities and attract good fortune. The brown background consists of a mixture of clay and cow dung (Geru Mitti). The white, delicate patterns are painted using a liquid made from white chalk or lime (Khadiya), applied directly by hand or with simple brushes. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house (kucha) in the Jaisalmer region, decorated with white lime paint. A woman in a red sari stands in the doorway, hanging up a bright orange cloth. The white decorations on the brown mud walls are examples of Mandana art, one of the oldest forms of tribal and folk art in India, practised mainly by women in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house (kucha) in the Jaisalmer region, decorated with white lime paint. Standing in the doorway is a woman in a red sari, hanging out the washing. The white decorations on the brown mud walls are examples of Mandana art, one of the oldest forms of tribal and folk art in India, practised mainly by women in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. – 1990

Marco Polo’s house in Venice, with its doorway showing strong Byzantine influence (in the corner in the background). In the centre of the courtyard, the Corte Seconda del Milion, stands a well. The house was built in the 11th/12th century, and Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254. He travelled extensively throughout Asia and lived for nearly seventeen years at the court of Kublai Khan, the Great Khan of China. After returning to his hometown, he took part in a naval battle against Genoa and was taken prisoner. During his exile in Liguria, he dictated his memoirs, the ‘Book of the Marvels of the World’. This masterful travelogue remains to this day an inexhaustible source of information on the history, customs and traditions of Asia in the Middle Ages. Marco Polo died in 1324 as a highly respected man, known to his fellow citizens as ‘Messer Marco Milione’, as he was in the habit of estimating the Great Khan’s treasures in millions of gold ducats. – 1989

The Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice – built between 1505 and 1508 on the ruins of an older warehouse and, until 2025, set to become a luxury shopping centre and cultural hub near the Rialto Bridge – was, at the beginning of the 15th century, effectively a finance and customs ministry that played a fundamental role in the spice trade. – 1989

The Oostindische Huis in Amsterdam, the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC), is located on Oude Hoogstraat. The Governor-General and the Council of the Indies used to meet in the halls above the entrance. The building and its owners were closely linked to the cultivation, transport and sale of spices. – 1990

Around Peru’s capital, Lima, the pueblos jóvenes – the new neighbourhoods, also known as barriadas and which are nothing but slums – are springing up. Given the dire social situation and stagnating agriculture in the Andean valleys, the city is the main destination for a massive exodus from the countryside. - Book: Picture 187 - Peru - 1976

The photograph shows a rural dwelling and farmland on the shores of Lake Titicaca in the Peruvian Altiplano. Small, simple stone houses with thatched roofs and fenced-in courtyards characterise the barren landscape. – Juli region – Peru – 1969

Photo Gallery