This is a pretty fascinating one- A book on the Ama divers of the Izu peninsula.
Ama divers have been around for some (reputedly) 2000 years, and continued in the same way until the 60's, when some modern equipment was allowed to be used. Almost exclusively female, the divers generally had to be born into the trade, with their skills being passed down by their mothers and grandmothers. Wearing only the traditional loincloth they are thought to be the first free divers, using no air tanks or scuba gear, and searching primarily for pearls. So- the book was made in 1954, its a pretty tough one to come by, and is a great piece of photojournalism into the practice and culture of this ancient profession. The Ama still exist today, but use some modern equipment and only really don traditional dress for the tourists.
Ama divers have been around for some (reputedly) 2000 years, and continued in the same way until the 60's, when some modern equipment was allowed to be used. Almost exclusively female, the divers generally had to be born into the trade, with their skills being passed down by their mothers and grandmothers. Wearing only the traditional loincloth they are thought to be the first free divers, using no air tanks or scuba gear, and searching primarily for pearls. So- the book was made in 1954, its a pretty tough one to come by, and is a great piece of photojournalism into the practice and culture of this ancient profession. The Ama still exist today, but use some modern equipment and only really don traditional dress for the tourists.
