Georg von Langsdorff, an early visitor to California
Georg von Langsdorff, an early visitor to California, sketched a group of Costeño dancers at Mission San José in 1806. "The hair of these people is very coarse, thick, and stands erect; in some it is powdered with down feathers," Langsdorff noted. "Their bodies are fantastically painted with charcoal dust, red clay, and chalk. The foremost dancer is ornamented all over with down feathers, which gives him a monkey-like appearance; the hindermost has had the whimsical idea of painting his body to imitate the uniform of a Spanish soldier, with his boots, stockings, breeches, and upper garments
Size: 2711px × 1843px
Photo credit: © DBHC 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancient, antique, artifact, bygone, educational, fashioned, georg, heirloom, historic, historical, historically, history, image, langsdorff, nostalgia, nostalgic, rarity, relic, vintage, von
