Greetings from a small worker, a photo from Dhaka, North

Photographer's Note

It is time to wish those on TE celebrating the forthcoming holiday a Merry Christmas, and to everyone else a happy weekend. I am not much for Christmas decorations and I don't have any suitable photo, so I will let this little boy from Bangladesh send you his greetings.

I saw this tired and probably hungry boy loading bamboo canes in a slummy dock area of Dhaka just before Christmas in 1972. He should have been in school, or at home playing with his friends, rather than helping his family earn enough money to avoid starvation.

It's a technically bad photo, taken in a weak light before sunset and scanned from a Kodachrome slide, but at least it is almost sharp. The workshop is not sharp but I post it anyway. Long ago I also posted this portrait from the same place. I have also shown this black and white photo from somewhere in the same area.

Here is a larger version of the main photo.

Merry Christmas!

Lidka, ikeharel, ChrisJ, Cricri, gervaso, Fis2, alvaraalto, jhm, COSTANTINO, papagolf21, GyurMaster, PiotrF, Royaldevon, jean113, mcmtanyel, adramad, Gigidusud, photographer123 ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

Lidka (527) 2017-12-22 0:53

Dear Gert!
Fantastic picture from 1972. Fantastic document.
Wonderful boy. What about this boy today?
Superb scene, pose, scenery and background.
Dynamic shot.
Perfect quality.
Great effect. Thanks!
Well done!

pajaran (116041) 2017-12-22 1:18

Dobar dan.
Lep pogled, dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad skeniranjem, lepo pokazano mesto i trenutak, lepe fotografije.
Mnogo je vremena proslo, gde je ovaj decak i sta danas radi.
Zelim vam lep dan, sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good day.
Nice view, good text ...
Good work with scanning, beautifully shown place and moment, nice photos.
It's been a long time, where this boy is and what he's doing today.
I wish you a nice day, all the best.

ikeharel (113483) 2017-12-22 1:24

Child labor case par excellence, Gert - hope situation is much better now than 45 years ago. The picture tells a lot more: the young boy was not even dressed for work, the surrounding was not in favor for him, looks aweful - yet, hope he is now maybe 50 and have better job.
A meaningful photo, as we know kids under age working hard, especially in this region of our world.
Great document, Gert.
Wish you and your family, a happy holidays season,
Ike

ChrisJ (171888) 2017-12-22 1:36

Hi Gert

It's really not that bad. I'm surprised he isn't wearing a T shirt. They were huddled around burning newspapers in southern Nepal, and Bangladesh, when it was +10c-+15c, complaining about the extreme cold. Good cropping and the sunlight on the right of his face is great. Excellent warm cold color contrasts. Tfs!

Cricri (176) 2017-12-22 1:41

Hi Gert
Une belle image de ce petit garçon pour souhaiter vos vœux, belles images aussi sur les liens et WS...
Un travail dur et fatiguant pour cet enfant, aujourd'hui adulte, espérons que sa vie est moins difficile!!!
Belle journée
cricri

Tue (92514) 2017-12-22 1:43

Hello Gert,
Oh dear, of course this small boy should have been in school instead of doing all this hard labour. You captured him and the expression on his tired face very well. The many canes of bamboo make a good background.
God jul!
Lars

lousat (139352) 2017-12-22 2:08

Hi Gert,i like your post,this is an old pic but still an actual theme. The other face of Christmas days,far by the lights and fest,showing how this guy and more people in the world isn't lucky as we are. Great idea from your endless archive,i like it,and i wish you all the best me too! Have a nice weekend,Luciano

gervaso (28177) 2017-12-22 2:27

Hello, Gert!

Sharpness is really good, and I also like the colors of this old image from your archive! The bamboos create an interesting pattern on the photo and the reflections in the background are a beautiful detail! He really shouldn't be working, but there he was for this great composition! Well done, and Merry Christmas!

Fis2 (170919) 2017-12-22 2:33

Witaj Gert!
Your archive is impressive!
Excellent scene, interesting place.
Boy makes impression.
Warm regards.
Krzysztof

Nicou (193806) 2017-12-22 2:53

Hello

Cela fait de la peine à le voir ce jeune dans cet environnement boueux et ces bambou quel regard comme il est habillé très bel hommage à lui pauvre de ce monde.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

alvaraalto (42804) 2017-12-22 2:54

Hello Gert
It is good to realize that these scene from 1972 probably still exist. We do hear regularly actual stories of excesses with children labour. It is good to realize the imperfections of our world and X-mas is a good opportunity for some extra attention.
Have a nice day, Groet Rob

jhm (211736) 2017-12-22 4:41

Hello Gert,

Maybe are today the children better than45 year ago.
Children worker, I've this very goof know, through the time after of the WW II..
Colours and sharpness are wonderful.
An excellent composition, pleasant presentation.
Very well done, TFS.

Kindest regards,
John.

jmdias (115312) 2017-12-22 4:56

gert

nice portrait of the boy at work, surrounded by these mounts of bamboo. yes, many children has a hard life around the globe and education should be their main activity.
here we have had many lost boys and girls who aren't working and stay alone, walking by the streets doing nothing after the classes, this is a problem for brazil at this moment, increasing the number of future addicted people and future criminals. in the past there would be a mother in each house with an eye in her children, nowadays mothers are working far of their homes and left their children at home.
some people says if these children were working this would be better, but I guess modern children have to be inside a school or inside such educational system during most part of the day.
worst than see rich spoiled children is to see the poor ones, without limites. I hope you understand what I mean.

take care

jorge

COSTANTINO (116644) 2017-12-22 6:24

Hello dear Gert and have a nice time
this photo is so delicate and interesting
the description of the boy is so impressive
as folowing I saw this tired and probably
hungry boy loading bamboo
what couls I say for this???
I am feeling sad for this small boy
obliged to work instead of playing
with his friends at home
regards
Costantino

papagolf21 (152607) 2017-12-22 6:36

Bonjour, cher Gert,
J'aime beaucoup vos prises de vue, je l'ai déjà écrit, et je les considère comme des images d'archives de premier plan.
La qualité est présente et les sujets intéressants.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Sergiom (117241) 2017-12-22 6:50

Bonjour Gert,

Ce qui est vraiment désolant dans cette composition remarquable c'est que le petit fils de cet enfant travaille probablement de la même manière que son grand père.

Amicalement

Serge

Silvio1953 (221771) 2017-12-22 8:19

Ciao Gert, hard work for cute boy, sad daily life scene, excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, have a good weekend, ciao Silvio

rychem (72187) 2017-12-22 8:56

A sad photo, and sad time for this boy, today children are also forced to work instead to go to school, a very good reportage photo
regards Ryszard

GyurMaster (24840) 2017-12-22 14:21

Dear Gert,

I wish you a nice Christmas Holiday too! By the way, this is a great portrait! :)

Best Wishes,
Gy.

carlo62 (81265) 2017-12-22 15:23

Ciao Gert
questa foto dice cose più importanti di ciò che dice il Natale moderno.
Spero solo che questo bambino abbia avuto fortuna nella sua vita, probabilmente è un mio coetaneo, ma le nostre vite sono state sicuramente diverse.
Buon we e buon Natale
Carlo

PiotrF (54850) 2017-12-22 16:32

Hello Gert,
Great two photos of everyday life from Bangladesh.
Thank you for informative notes.
Fine presentation.
Regards
Piotr

mesutilgim (0) 2017-12-23 1:51

Hello dear Gert,
Again a perfect capture from your archive. Been made almost half a century ago but still a perfect capture. A silent evidence from those part of the World where most probably it didn't change too much since than.
TFS and have a Merry Christmas !
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

Royaldevon (85932) 2017-12-23 2:54

Hello Gert,

I have said this before but feel I need to repeat my thoughts ... maybe I'm a lady of very little brain (pinched from Winnie the Pooh, who was a bear of very little brain) ... that you have a most remarkable archive! In this age of technology, photographs which record the very basics of our existence are an eye-opener! To look at this little chap, virtually unclothed, standing alone in a quagmire, is such a contrast to the image of western children, sleeping in warm beds, with sacks awaiting presents from Father Christmas!
Still, with all the political upheavals, there will be quite a few children enduring the cold and hunger, this year! How sad!

I wish you a very happy Christmas,
Bev :-)
Will you be meeting up with Gunnar for a Christmas celebration?

jean113 (27899) 2017-12-23 5:01

Hello Gert, a sad picture of the young boy who had to do hard work in awful surroundings.
45 years old, but it still has an effect on viewers.
You have given us 'food for thought'.

Best wishes for the holiday season.
Jean.

mcmtanyel (68679) 2017-12-23 20:27

Hello Gert,
I hope this boy is a happy middle aged man now. A very powerful image...
Happy Christmas Eve,
MT

kasianowak (17676) 2017-12-23 23:54

Hi Gert
This is a very special and highly appropriate Christmas card. Around this time of the year we talk a lot (and promptly forget) about poor people but we rarely think of those of other cultures, outside our Canada-US-EU-OZ-NZ affluent belt. And we should.
Thank you Gert, these are thoughts very close to my heart.
Merry Christmas to you too!
Kasia
Ps. I've just received an electronic Christmas card from Hotel Horizon in Kathmandu. :-)

emka (158204) 2017-12-24 6:47

Hello Gert,
Original post for the Christmas wishes. Instead of overdone Christmas decorations this small boy that instead of learning in school has to work hard to help the family survive. It is old picture but there are still so many children in the world that live in poverty, that can't expect the expensive toys. And many struggle to survive in the wars. The world we live is cruel. We have in our Christmas Eve tables the special plate for unexpected guest but I wounder who would share the evening with someone poor.

Have nice holidays with you eldest brother (I have read the forum).
Malgo

adramad (73030) 2017-12-24 10:41

Hello Gert.
A striking photo of the hard life of many children, in so many places on earth, here this child stacking bamboo canes is a faithful exponent of this fact.
A photo, with very good lighting and sharpness.
Well done.
I wish you a Merry Christmas.
Enjoy the weekend.
Very best regards.
Luis.

Gigidusud (21679) 2017-12-30 14:00

Hello Gert,
Indeed, a very rough lifestyle for a child. A Christmas very different from what European children live. A very touching photo that reframes the meaning of values.
TFS.
Gigi

saxo042 (38078) 2018-02-06 8:39

Hej Gert,
En bra bild med denne pojke omgiven av ett stort antal parallella linjer. Bra bakgrundsfärger i beige och blått.
Hälsningar
Gunnar

Miguel82 (47110) 2019-12-12 11:51

Gert, a value archive photo taken in december 1972 in Dhaka. Bangladesh is a country off the beaten tracks spared by the mass tourism not like Thailand or Indonesia. This young boy is loading bamboo posts in the mud. Working children still exist in many developing countries. He must help his family instead of going to school and receive an education. Fine colors, good sharpness, regards.

photographer123 (6248) 2020-01-13 9:28