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Playin' Mas, Play and Mas | A Pedagogical Journey of Children in Caribana

Woman and two children take a ride on the steel pan truck

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Structured Reflections | Analyzing the photo like an historian
Answers to questions historians ask about pictures
1. Are there people in the photograph?
Yes. Several.
2. What are they doing?
Top left: four people with white BWIA t-shirts on have their backs to the camera and are facing the crowd and some are facing a white steel pan drum and others are resting on a steel pan
Top right: there are no people
Bottom left: There is a woman with glasses sitting on the edge of a flat bed truck holding a beach ball balloon on a stick and her purse; looking out towards the camera; there is a woman with her back to the camera walking behind the truck; she is also in a BWIA shirt;
Bottom right: There are two young girls, one in a dress, sitting on the truck with their backs resting on a steel pan; there are two younger women in their 20s behind the truck, one is in a striped shirt looking down at her own camera, perhaps reloading/rewinding it; the other is in a floral top and has something in her had but is looking at the photographer, not posing though; crowd of onlookers looking away from the camera man, with the exception of one who is looking in the direction of the photograph, but not directly in the camera; all of the people in the picture are black; four men and four women are in the forefront based on clarity of faces and size and angle of camera
3. What expressions are on their faces? What is their body language?
The woman holding the beach ball and wearing the glasses may or may not be looking at the camera, she has no smile, her face seems serious but at peace, if anything she seems somewhat curious as to what is going on beneath her. Her face is partially hidden behind the balloon; the young girl seems a little tired, she has her legs dangling and is glancing downwards and her ands are beside her on the truck; the girl behind her, more specifically perpendicular to her has her fingers crossed and under her chin, her legs are dangling but maybe resting over a beach ball or another object based on the direction of her flexed feet. It is hard to read the expressions of the entire crowd, but a they are neutral faced eager to see what is coming down the road.
4. What objects are in the photograph?
Two punching balls, sponsored by BWIA, I believe the woman on the truck is their mother or guardian and the girls are sisters; there are two steel drums, one in full view the other pan it partially obscured; there is a straw purse with red trim by the pan; three hand bags on the shoulders arms of different women; a camera, sunglasses, regular glasses, a traffic light for pedestrian crossing, a large white building with green wrought iron fence/trim rails; an unidentifiable object is in a woman's hand.
5. When was the photograph taken?
1971
6. Where was the photograph taken?
Toronto, most likely on University avenue as the Caribana parade had switched from Yonge street in 1970.
7. Where is the photographer standing in relation to the subject (above, below, in front of, beside, etc.)? The photographer is behind the truck but in front of the people sitting at the back of the 18 wheeler.
8.How would the picture change if he or she was standing in a different place?
If the photographer was located along the side of the truck, the emphasis may have shifted from young girls and their mother/guardian to the steel pan players and the activity on the truck bed. If taken from being on the truck, the photographer may have then gotten more of the crowd.
9. Is this photo spontaneous or posed? How can you tell?
The photo is spontaneous, no one is posed and staring directly at the camera. In fact, one woman is looking at her own camera, most likely trying to rewind it. Although the woman and one of the young girls is peering down in the direction of the camera man, it seems like they may be looking at the women below rather than being consciously aware of the photographer
10 . What is the general mood of the photograph? How can you tell?
The woman smiling tells me the mood is a good one. Although, some people seem tired, in particular the woman who is sitting on the truck with her kids rather than walking along the road. The other woman seems intrigued or interested in what is going on behind the camera person or near to him or her.