A strong family bond

One of my favourite photos, this scene tells such a sweet story. I love the Herero woman’s amused expression. We can guess that she is laughing at her child’s scowling face, perhaps directed at the photographer (maybe an ‘otjirumbu’ – white man). Her headdress, or ’otjikaiva’, dates the photo around seventy years ago before the headdresses evolved into the wider, more elaborate headgear worn today that resemble cow horns. She conveys a simple elegance with her headdress, ring and blanket worn around her shoulders like a shawl.

Her husband, whose strong hands have a tight hold on their baby, smokes a pipe, wears a wide-brimmed hat and has a small moustache (‘snor’), as was the fashion of the time. His hands reveal a life of hard work and his jersey has seen better days, and is held closed with a safety pin. There is a feeling of unity in the photograph, conveying a strong family bond that is unmistakable even all these years later.