The Marmot’s Hole

Over at the Chosun Ilbo blog community, Light of Life posted a collection of photographs entitled “Our Society 100 Years Ago” that anyone — and I do mean ANYONE — with even the remotest interest in either Korean history or Korean culture should look at. The descriptions are in Korean, so I’ve taken the liberty to translate them (as best I could) below.

1) Jangseung (1903)

Jangseung were set up at village entrances and served as guardian spirits while at the same time serving as mileposts. There was also a custom of praying before the jangseung for recovery from illness. Here, seven people pray before seven jangseung. They say using a curved pine tree is particularly efficacious to attain ones earnest hopes and wishes.

2) Newlywed (1890)

A mother graps a hold of the sedan chair and carefully explains something to her daughter who is about to be brought to her in-laws’ home.

3) Female archery contest (1910)

4) Gisaeng singers (1900)

The vocalists of today

5) A gisaeng outing (1903)

Gisaeng (in some respects similar to the Japanese geisha) pose with sedan bearers for photo.

6) Bride and groom meet (1903)

The groom’s family looks on with curiosity, but the bride’s family is full of worry.

7) Bride going to her in-laws’ home (1903)

Bride in sedan chair entering her groom’s home.
Marriage ceremony in latef Daehan Empire Era (1903)

Marriage ceremony in which the woman — after placing a ddeoguji on her head, tying a pigtail ribbon and placing a hairpin - has put on a wonsam. This couple is conducting a wedding ceremony after having children courtesy an American missionary.

9) Village jangseung (1900)

You normally have to place two jangseung, but here, one lonely jangseung stands at the entrance of the village, and a telephone pole can also be seen.

10) Ironing (1900)

This woman intentionally exposes her breasts as she irons. This was a custom to boast she had borne a son.

11) Woman pounding clothes

12) Winnowing and sifting (1890)

The lives of our women were ones of labor, and they husked, winnowed and sifted grain and prepared rice and gruel.

13) Ox-driven millstone (1900)

A millstone was a devise to polish rice rotated by an ox.

14) Grindstone (1904)

A hand-driven mixer for beans or wheat.

15) Old man making a mat (1900)

Making a mat required one to hang many warp weights and weave together one strip at a time.

16) Dancing girl visit (1905)

Dancing girls pose for photograph in front of Japanese barracks during Russo-Japanese War. On the tent in back are drawn the Japanese and Korean flags.

17) Building an earth wall (1905)

Building a wall of wood, stone and earth, the builders take a short break for the photograph.

18) Kim Gae-nam (1894)

Led the Donghak Peasant Revolt along with Jeon Bong-jun.

19) Crane (1900)

As a tool for lifting heavy objects, stones for fortress walls were also moved this way.

20) Womens’ twofold screen (1900)

Going off for an outing with their twofold screens made of rush mats, two women show off while holding their screens with both hands.

21) Seesaw (1920)

When women wanted to see the outside world, they could do so jumping on the seesaw.

22) Chess (1890)

They look like young boys, but as they are wearing straw hats used by young married men, it seems they have already married.

23) Passenger boat for the Han River (1910)

24) Namdaemun tram stop (1919)

With the coming of the tram to Seoul, Japan - which had failed in its order to have people wear short hair - made the staff of the tram company cut their topknots. By making them wear Western hats, the winds of reform driven by the tram changed Korea’s traditional culture, and the drivers were forced to where Japanese-style uniforms. As people are wearing white, it’s the period of national mourning for Queen Sunheon.

25) Seoul tram (1903)

The Hanseong Tram Company of Americans Henry Collbran and H.R. Bostwick completed laying the tram tracks in December 1898. Immediately after completion, there was an incident in which the tram was burnt following an accident that killed a young child, but people flocked from all over to Seoul to ride the thing. In held 40 people, and there was a special room for use by yangban in the middle.

26) A lady’s outing (1907)

The sedan bearers are carrying the lady as they pass through an alley of linen shops.

27) Mapo Naru-teo (1910)

The area around the pier, an area with commercial power where a lot of merchants selling salted shrimp were found. Not far from Seoul, there were always a lot of goods being traded and it was an important point for going to Incheon. Boat fare on the steam vessel between Yongsan and Incheon was W2 for 1st class and 70 jeon for 2nd class.

28) Gyeongin Train (1910)

In order to ride the train, passengers cause a commotion trying to get on board. There were many accidents with passengers who were riding a train for the first time trying to jump off before the train had come to a stop.

29) Birth of the fire department (1920)

On the left is an observation tower where one could see all of downtown Seoul. In the tower was hung a bell to alert firefighters of an emergency.

30) Springtime graduation in 1904

Students stand around two teachers (hunjang) in full Korean attire. It’s a private school (seodang) founded by the Horace Underwood.

31) School scene

A stern-looking teacher with a pipe posses with students for a photograph. On the left side of the photo, one student sitting with his back to the camera consoles his friend, who is confined to the storeroom because he hasn’t studied well.

32) Japanese language school in Incheon (1894)

In the middle of the Korean teachers and the students in full Korean dress can be seen a Japanese teacher, too.

33) Outside study (1904)

School children have class outside the school.

34) School (1909)

Rod in hand, an instructor teaches his students brush writing on porch.

35) School in Gando (1905)

Fascinated that one could take a photo in a dark room without a flash, everyone’s eyes get real big.

36) Ehwa Hakdang

Mary F. Scranton (right), the founder of Ehwa Hakdang (now Ehwa Womens University) teaches housekeeping. That all the shoes are well arranged in the front row is distinctive.

37) Girls student practicals (1910)

Students from Silmyeong Girls School who have come to the home of a missionary located in the hills near Daegu for their practicals give rice balls to young boys.

38) Elementary school sports club (1930)

Students of Deoksan Elementary School in Daegu pose for photograph after winning Japanese sumo tournament.