Photographer Léon Busy captured a Northern Vietnamese girl chewing betel leaves while attending a festival in the early 20th century.
In July, many photos of northern women in the early 20th century by Léon Busy (1874-1951) were shared again on some old document synthesis sites. The photos are now part of the Les inspirations de Claire Glorieux collection of the Albert Kahn Museum (France), taken by the photographer between 1914 and 1921.
In the picture, he took a picture of a girl wearing a white yếm chewing betel, in 1916. The custom of chewing betel dates back to the Hung Kings’ time, associated with the story of the Betel and Areca Nuts . In the Vietnamese concept, a piece of betel is the beginning of a conversation, helping people to be close and open to each other. Betel and areca nut are also offerings in rituals such as sacrifices, funerals, weddings, and at the same time carry the symbolic meaning of brotherhood and love between couples.
French photographer captures portrait of rich girl, 1915.
In 1909, Mr. Albert Kahn (1860-1940) – a French banker and philanthropist – wanted to establish a “Planetary Archive”, including photographic materials about 50 countries using the most advanced color photography techniques at that time. To carry out the project, he hired a series of photographers to travel to different countries, including Léon Busy to Vietnam.
A group of women in a human chess team, brought to life through the lens of Léon Busy, 1914-1918.
Human chess is one of the folk games played during festivals in Vietnam in general and in the North in particular. This game inherits the rules of Chinese chess, the chess pieces will be placed by people and move according to the player’s command.
An upper-class woman, sitting on a bamboo bed in her courtyard, photographed by a photographer in 1915.
During his time in Vietnam, the photographer also took many pictures of Hanoi’s landscape. His works were exhibited in Hanoi in December 2013, most recently at an event themed Hanoi – The Beginning of a Western-style City in Southeast Asia , which took place in April 2023.
Photo: Albert Kahn Museum
