“Races” and Their Faces, 1906-Style

Illustrations of “Race Types” from the 1906 book “New Complete Geography”
Click the photo to see it on its original Flickr page.

[Via Boing Boing] Here’s a page from the 1906 schoolbook New Complete Geography showing a number of various “races” and what they look like.

Note the inclusion of “Philippino” — probably included because the Philippines was an American protectorate at the time (one of the by-products of which was my great-grandfather, one James O’Hara, born near Dayton, Ohio). I thought I’d run the image of my kababayan (countryman) from the book side-by-side with my own smiling mug, just for kicks:

“Philippino” man from “New Complete Geography” side by side with Joey deVilla.

Should I swap my goatee for that splendiferous handlebar moustache from the illustration?

9 Comments

  1. darryl
    Posted January 30, 2008 at 11:27 am | Permalink

    What’s a Nubian?

  2. Wendy
    Posted January 30, 2008 at 11:28 am | Permalink

    Aw, you didn’t do a picture of me next to the “Hebrew” guy.

  3. Posted January 30, 2008 at 3:59 pm | Permalink

    Something unspeakable must have happened to Greek guys between 1906 and now.

  4. Posted January 30, 2008 at 4:08 pm | Permalink

    I wonder if any of my relatives have a matador hat like the Spaniard’s, because relly, I don’t even think they own one!

  5. Posted January 30, 2008 at 7:50 pm | Permalink

    That kind of moustache requires waxing. A lot of work but memorable, for sure. If you ever need to evict widows and orphans from their homes, you’ll be all set!

  6. Posted January 30, 2008 at 7:53 pm | Permalink

    Yes, you absolutely must have a handlebar moustache in this day and age.

  7. Posted January 31, 2008 at 12:07 am | Permalink

    I like how “Anglo-Saxon” was conveniently located top-center.

    Also, facial hair has apparently gotten a lot less cool in the last 100 years.

  8. Posted January 31, 2008 at 8:47 am | Permalink

    So I’d be the Scottish Highlander (all of my great grandparents lived there in 1906, so maybe one of them posed for this.) Actually, looks more like Frank, who’s not Scottish at all.

    Wendy, maybe you should instead be pictured next to a Bostom Cream Pie. Sweet! And less facial hair!

  9. Posted February 1, 2008 at 11:26 pm | Permalink

    3+13=me(ish).

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