The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1932)

January, 1932 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-seven Portugal and the other to Netherlands. We are headed in a very calm sea and running at half speed to get between two small islands that are not marked by beacons; a very narrow channel to navigate. I have been up on deck getting my usual sun bawth. I look like a native now, so tanned up. Also seem to be gaining a bit in weight, which I don't want. The weather is getting hotter every day as we near the equator, and is very hot below deck, so I do most of my work at night as the heat affects dark-room work and is not so good for it. These khaki shorts I am wearing as you see in the picture are most comfortable. I think I'll start the style in Hollywood, especially in the studios. Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 P.M. Dropped off writing for a few days as there was not much of any special interest. We are now anchored at Lambok Island. We made a few stops at several of the other islands along the route, but nothing much to write about . If you will refer to your map you will find a whole row of small islands leading to Java. Lambok Island is mountainous and also volcanic; in fact, all the islands about here are volcanic. One peak reaches over 12,000 feet. There are many various races here, which consist of Malays, Javanese, negritos and Papuans, also a tribe called Indonesians. The Papuans have crinkled hair. Around Timor and Timor Laut is a group of sixty-six little islands. I was down in the darkroom all day, and when I came up to my room at 4:30 P.M. it looked as if a typhoon had hit the place. My clothes, bedding, suitcases, mattress, in fact everything was scattered about the floor, dropped over the sink and strewn in every fashion over the room. I looked about with a wicked eye. The second mate swears he didn't do it and so does the electrician, but these rascals could look you straight in the eye and tell you the moon was purple. They certainly put one over on me, but believe me, not for long. Revenge, I swear, as I grind my teeth. They threw cold water on my roommate and myself the other morning, so we retaliated by shaving the hair off the second mate's chest. Was he mad! Say, the air was red with flaming words. It's a wonder the ship didn't catch fire. We only laughed at him and said, "Changee for changee," as the natives do when they want our old clothes and we want their trinkets. He later came down into our room and tried to get even, but we were prepared for him and when he sneakingly arrived he got a good drenching of ice water. That cooled him off for a while. Oh, well, we got to have our fun, for when there is nothing special for us to do the nights seem terribly long. Tomorrow we go to Bali Island, which promises to be more interesting. It is fearfully warm in the day time and ashore it is hotter than the place where the devil hangs out. Friday, Oct. 30. Well, dad, here I am again. Been busy as old heck. We were in the Island of Bali and a very interesting place. Bali Island is close to Java, separated by a narrow strait, and volcanic. It, too, has some very high peaks from seven to ten thousand feet high. There are many inlets, reefs and shoals along the coast. We are now on the Dutch side of Timor. It is a beautiful sight as one looks about at a distance at all these volcanic islands; some smoking and some extinct. They seem to run in a row between Timor and Sumba, between the Flores Sea and the Sumba Sea. Many crocodiles infest the shores of these islands and it wouldn't do to go in and take a swim. We went into drydock at Souraboya (how's that for a name — means "sorehead" in English I guess), Java, Wednesday. Al and I are now at Dejokji (another queer name), 200 miles inland from the seaport, and we are staying at a marvelous hotel. The scenes are the most wonderful in the world; many Hindu temples; seems to be thousands of them. We shot pictures of the Hindu temples and native Javanese dances. It is a very beautiful country, but hot as the hinges of hades. All I wear is a shirt, khaki short pants and a sun helmet. Weltevreden, Batavia, Java, Nov. 3. Al and I just finished a wonderful dinner at the Hotel Des Idies, from which place I am writing. We have worked hard shooting pictures of the native life and customs and it is very beautiful in some places. We set the camera up in the back of a very large Packard and photographed street scenes from it. Gosh, but it was hot; 98 in the shade and the humidity was terrible. The Hindu temples which I mentioned in my other letter were the most marvelous of sights. They were built like roof upon roof and many cf them. Glittering in gold against the sun made them still more magnificent. We took many pictures. At one place I got into a Hindu temple and shot a picture of the largest Buddha. It was carved from solid rock and is over 300 years old. It was one of the most difficult shots I ever tackled, as it was all dark in there except for a small ray of light coming through a small door through which we had to stoop to get inside. I propped the graflex up on a couple of rocks and gave it a good time exposure, along with hopes and patience, for it was such a marvelous piece of work I just had to get a good picture of it, come what may. There have been very few photos taken of it, and these only flashlights. When the commodore got an enlargement of that Buddha picture he was more than pleased, for he had visited the temple and saw how dark it was inside and how difficult it was to shoot. Intensive Cultivation Here in Java I do not believe there is more than ten feet of vacant ground, for it appears every foot of ground is used for something to grow upon. Rice fields, kapok groves, tobacco, bananas, cocoanuts, sugar, and I could ring off a whole list and then I wouldn't get it all, for no matter which direction you look you see a lot of Javanese working in the fields '.-r walking along the roads with heavy loads on their heads. There are plenty of Chinese here, too. The newer type of buildings are of modernistic construction, all very pretty and some of white marble. Javanese Industrious This hotel is a marvelous place and newly built. The next time you travel and stop at Batavia I will recommend the place to you. A tasty dinner, fine string orchestra and the elite of society. That's us. Here, too, it is volcanic. This town was completely destroyed by volcanic eruption back about 1870, so I am told, but you would never think it to look at it now. There are very many rivers, which like mostly all the tropical islands, overflow to swollen streams during Bob Bronner in order to show the relative size of Javanese women is photographed with a quartet.