Vintage work crew photos

[Frank S]

Yep the smaller more compact those transport conveyances could be made the stronger and believably more survivable in the event of a cave in.
Notice all of them seem to be smiling, I would presume this may be because they have survived another work shift.

[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.

Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...w_fullsize.jpg

[Frank S]

Jon this may give some insight to the why of the women pulling plows. Fore warning a bit of a read
The Doukhobors' Place in Canadian History

[mklotz]

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.

[Doth]

Female welder they are beautiful!

[Jon]

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

[Altair]

Workers at the aluminium factory in Stongfjorden, Sweden, 1908.

[hemmjo]

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.

[Jon]

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

Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...w_fullsize.jpg

[hemmjo]

I would think those thin stilts would be sinking into the marsh mud. French marshes must be different that the marshes we have around here.