Vintage work crew photos

**Jon** · Mar 30, 2019, 07:04 PM

Doukhobor women pulling a plow on the Canadian prairies.

I still don't understand the whole people-doing-animal-work thing. Is it just a weird anomaly? A normal step that developing societies go through? Weird response to famine or war or recent disasters of some sort? Like did the plow animals die of a disease a month ago, and the people need to pick up the yoke until more animals can be purchased after next harvest? Or, is this a plow intentionally made for use by people? Does this happen anywhere today? I don't get it.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

**mklotz** · Mar 31, 2019, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Jon

Doukhobor women pulling a plow on the Canadian prairies.
I still don't understand the whole people-doing-animal-work thing. Is it just a weird anomaly?

Two quotes from the Wikipedia article on the Doukhobors...

The largest group—the Community Doukhobors—continued to be loyal to their spiritual leader Peter V. Verigin

Verigin convinced his followers to free their "brethren" (animals) and pull their wagons and plows themselves.

More proof that religious fundamentalism can short circuit neural pathways.

**Jon** · Apr 1, 2019, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by mklotz

Two quotes from the Wikipedia article on the Doukhobors...

The largest group—the Community Doukhobors—continued to be loyal to their spiritual leader Peter V. Verigin

Verigin convinced his followers to free their "brethren" (animals) and pull their wagons and plows themselves.

More proof that religious fundamentalism can short circuit neural pathways.

Wow, that is quite a read. Doukhobors looked like a combination of sect, cult, ultra radical communists, and terrorists over the years. Verigin (and his kid) really were pieces of work. Verigin essentially broke them of the "dominion of man over animals" concept, which is fairly uniform across Judeo-Christianity; that's actually impressive! Historically, I think it's been easier to convince people to give their lives for an unjust cause that it is to convince them to unhook a healthy plow animal, let it walk away, and then pull the plow themselves.

And look at this other pic. All women pulling too. The one job that's not intended for an animal is handled by the guy at the back.

Men went to work on the railroads! Here's a snippet from the original text that the wiki article is referencing: https://books.google.com/books?id=Qb...ilroad&f=false. The book glosses over the insane cult bit, and just casts this as a nostalgic and proud memory of "strong Doukhobor women". Seems like they're using a revisionist feminist angle to conceal the fact that these women were being victimized. Literally, they were being used as animals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doukhobors

**hemmjo** · Apr 2, 2019, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by Jon

Doukhobor women pulling a plow on the Canadian prairies.

I still don't understand the whole people-doing-animal-work thing. Is it just a weird anomaly? A normal step that developing societies go through? Weird response to famine or war or recent disasters of some sort? Like did the plow animals die of a disease a month ago, and the people need to pick up the yoke until more animals can be purchased after next harvest? Or, is this a plow intentionally made for use by people? Does this happen anywhere today? I don't get it.

My dad had a very rough life, the same I am sure as MANY kids and people in general. The family had no means to own or even feed an animal. I heard stories about him pulling the plow for their garden. I have also seen men in the Caribbean pulling carts, etc, like you would expect a horse or tractor to pull.

**Doth** · Apr 1, 2019, 05:18 AM

Female welder they are beautiful!

**Jon** · Apr 3, 2019, 01:26 PM

Shepherds on stilts; from a marshy region in Landes, France.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

**volodar** · Apr 3, 2019, 05:12 PM

I think this was a method for ¨overseeing¨ and counting the herd. More convenient than lying on the sometimes wet ground (half the caps were shaped like umbrellas), then counting all legs then dividing by four.

**Jon** · Apr 3, 2019, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by volodar

I think this was a method for ¨overseeing¨ and counting the herd. More convenient than lying on the sometimes wet ground (half the caps were shaped like umbrellas), then counting all legs then dividing by four.

Good call, now we're getting somewhere. Wiki on history of stiltwalking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilts...f_stiltwalking

Unsourced quote, but it's reasonable:

"The shepherds of the Landes region of southern France used to watch their flocks while standing on stilts to extend their field of vision, while townspeople often used them to traverse the soggy ground in their everyday activities."

**Frank S** · Apr 7, 2019, 08:59 AM

reference to post 613, or smash into the lift of the guy next to you when you need to access files right next to his sector where he my be working below or above you in a drawer right next to your sector

**ranald** · Apr 7, 2019, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Frank S

reference to post 613, or smash into the lift of the guy next to you when you need to access files right next to his sector where he my be working below or above you in a drawer right next to your sector

Reckon they would've been sorted into sections by another party beforehand. My first admin job was sorting (& other stuff) for the filing guys but less there than that lot. Of course the right hand guy is obviously the head guy...................as he steps out on the chap on the left's head, while descending for a loo break.