Vietnamese women nearly 100 years ago through the lens of foreigners

Viewers view a series of photos introduced in the exhibition Sofia Yablonska - Journey Through the Century, taking place at the Museum of Fine Arts (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) from November 4 to 11. The author took the photos in the 1930s-1940s, the main theme being peaceful village life.

A young woman of the White Thai ethnic group. Mr. Gaman Oleksandr, Ambassador of Ukraine to Vietnam, compared Ms. Sofia Yablonska to a "travel blogger" at that time. "Sofia's photos are like windows into the past, providing a glimpse into the history, culture and traditions of Vietnam," he said at the opening ceremony of the event marking 32 years of relations between the two countries.

A Dao ethnic girl. In the book Far Away: The Mysterious Mekong (published in 1939) - Ms. Sofia wrote about the working people: "In the fields, the natives wear conical hats and sow seeds in knee-deep water (they never take off their hats because they protect them from the rain, the sun, and even the moon)".

Hmong ethnic women group. Having visited many villages, she was impressed by the language, costumes, and customs in the mountains because of the differences compared to the residents of the plains.
"I always approached them with a smile and a greeting gesture, although I immediately felt that they did not trust Europeans and somewhat avoided them. On big market days, I bought vegetables from them and immediately asked how to eat them, how to cook them...", she wrote.

The author spent a lot of time in the North, because the scenery reminded her of the Carpathian Mountains in her homeland. She and her French husband, Jean-Marie Oudin, lived mainly in Ba Na (Da Nang) and Da Lat (Lam Dong), and gave birth to their second son in Vietnam.

Scene of people carrying burdens to earn a living on the bridge. Painter Tran Thanh Binh - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum - commented that through Sofia's lens, Vietnam appears simple yet profound. According to him, her photos are both artistic and valuable historical documents.

Sofia Yablonska has a special affection for village girls, and many of her photos revolve around this theme.

The photographer also captured many moments of street life in other localities, such as a scene of a Khmer person riding an ox cart.

People use elephants to transport goods.

Backstage Sofia Yablonska takes a photo.

Sofia Yablonska (1907-1971) was a writer, photographer and cinematographer. As a young woman, she entered the teaching profession but later found it unsuitable. At the age of 20, she left her hometown of Halychyna (western Ukraine) to study acting in Paris, France. In 1927, she took her first long trip to North Africa, and later published her first travel novel, The Charm of Morocco .
In 1929, Sofia traveled across Vietnam to Indochina, Hanoi - Saigon - Hue were her usual stops. After nearly 10 years living in Vietnam, she returned to Europe, settled in Paris, and devoted her time to literature and translation. In 1971, she died in a car accident while taking a manuscript to a publisher in Paris.

University (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/phu-nu-viet-gan-100-nam-truoc-qua-ong-kinh-nguoi-nuoc-ngoai-397514.html