We need to invoke khan’s prerogative today and step away from the blog, on account of yet another brutal Wired deadline. In our absence, enjoy this archive of photos from the defunct League of Nations. The one above is of the Iranian delegation, circa 1920—we reckon that was the Golden Age of women’s fashion in Tehran, at least for the elites. We wonder what the lovely lady in the killer coat would think of the nation’s current attitude toward the female form.
Also worth checking out: the extremely unhappy bunch who comprised the League’s Opium and Social Questions Section. They don’t look like the sorts who might’ve been willing to ponder decriminalization.
jackal // Mar 22, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Notwithstanding ’70s Tehran: http://www.pagef30.com/2009/04/iran-in-1970s-before-islamic-revolution.html
That photo collection is pretty great. I was looking at the Indian legation and none of them looked familiar, and similarly with the Japanese (but this may just be ignorance). I suppose this is since the big players in most non-European/ post-colonial countries became relevant later on..
Brendan I. Koerner // Mar 22, 2010 at 7:11 pm
@jackal: Thx so much for the link. Great photos of the height of Iranian fashion, circa1972.
I wonder if your observation re: the anonymity of the various legation members says something about why the LoN failed. What sort of legitimacy did the reps have back in their home countries? I presume they were mostly Western-educated elites, who may have been ignorant of the problems facing those who didn’t enjoy lives of utmost privilege.