ABSTRACT
JACOB IRLE says in his book about the Hereros:
‘Any one who wants to give a description of the Hereros finds himself in much the same position as that of a photographer, who comes out to Africa from Europe and is unfamiliar with the light and shadow effects. It is very easy for him to get perfectly black negatives through over-exposure, with the result that the dark negroid faces come out almost white. In describing them there is a danger of painting the picture in too glowing colours, while, on the other hand, it may easily happen, and it has very often happened, that it is only the Hereros’ bad characteristics which are disclosed and the possibility of their possessing noble ones is overlooked.’
