Le ́vi-Strauss rarely discussed the role of photo-
graphy in his observation of indigenous cultures. In
The View From Afar,Le ́vi-Strauss does discuss the
power of photography as an artistic expression,
particularly as it relates to the art of painting. In
a lengthy passage, Le ́vi-Strauss elucidates the lim-
itations of photography:
The primary role of art is to sift and arrange the profuse
information that the outer world is constantly sending out
to assail the sensory organs. By omitting some data, by
amplifying or reducing other data...the painter intro-
duces into the multitude of information a coherence...
Can it be said that photographers do the same thing? To
do so would be to overlook the fact that the physical and
mechanical constraints of the camera, the chemical con-
straints of the sensitive film, the subjects possible, the
angle of view, and the lighting, allow the photographer
only a very restricted freedom compared with the artist’s
practically unlimited freedom of eye and hand.
(Le ́vi-Strauss 248–249)
The limitations of photography do not presup-
pose the uselessness of the medium, however. Even
though the ability to manipulate film is not as
great, Le ́vi-Strauss identified the ability of photo-
graphy to ‘‘capture reality,’’ perhaps more than
any other art form. As he later concludes, photo-
graphy is more objective than other art forms.
Le ́vi-Strauss felt that photography had a use
above and beyond art, however; he believed that
the medium provided a valuable supplement to
field observation. During his long career, Le ́vi-
Strauss observed many cultures on five different
continents. In an attempt to augment his writing,
to make the culture ‘‘come alive’’ for the reader, he
would sometimes include photographs when
describing a tribe. However, Le ́vi-Strauss recog-
nized that this form of documentation was, in one
sense, reliant upon time and place. As he states in
his introduction toSaudades Do Brasil:
My negatives are not a miraculously preserved, tangi-
ble part of experiences that once engaged all my
senses...they are merely their indices—indices of peo-
ple, of landscapes, and of events that I am still aware of
having seen and known, but after such a long time I no
longer always remember where or when. These photo-
graphic documents prove to me that they did exist, but
they do not evoke them for me or bring them materi-
ally back to life.
(Le ́vi-Strauss 1995)
Photographs are no substitute for actual obser-
vation, and their inclusion in anthropology must
therefore be supplemental, a powerful representa-
tion of reality, but a representation nonetheless.
The 180 photographs included inSaudades Do
Brasildate from the mid- to late-1930s, when the
anthropologist made several expeditions to various
tribes in the Mato Grasso region of the Amazon.
Even though they date from different expeditions
and involve different tribes, the set-up of the collec-
tion suggests a single expedition starting in Sao
Paulo and moving into some of the most remote
locations in Amazonia. The Sao Paulo photographs
suggest a modern, frenetic city, with cars crowding
wide boulevards and people hustling down busy
streets. Famous for his studies of ‘‘primitive’’ peo-
ples, in this section Le ́vi-Strauss turns his eye on the
development of mechanization and commercialism
in a previously agrarian society. The compilation
quickly moves on to more outlying territories; how-
ever, even as the horse begins to replace the car in
these photographs, there is still evidence of rapid
change in these formerly inaccessible locations. The
roads in these photographs are all dirt, but they are
well-maintained and broad enough for vehicular
traffic. The towns have a more primitive look, but
in one photograph electrical lines can be seen run-
ning to one of the buildings. At this point the com-
pilation enters a third section, as Le ́vi-Strauss
chronicles his visits to the remote Caduveo, Bororo,
and Nambikwara tribes. Some of these photographs
may be recognized from his other works, but
nowhere else had he published such an impressive
collection. Le ́vi-Strauss paints a vivid portrait of
traditional and relatively unspoiled tribal life in the
Amazon. His camera focuses on all areas of cultural
practice, including photographs of subjects fishing,
dancing, cooking, eating, grooming, and engaging
in strength rituals. He also includes photographs
involving native dress, face decoration, and tradi-
tional weapons.
Immediately apparent inSaudades Do Brasilis
the lack of posed subjects. True, there are quite a
few close-ups in the collection; however, all of these
illustrate some aspect of ornamentation, such as a
nasal feather labret or a facial tattoo. Other than
these, the other photographs in the collection ap-
pear spontaneous, with the subjects going about
their daily routines of work, rest, and play. This
approach to photography manifests the anthropol-
ogist’s goal of non-interference. But this compila-
tion is more than just a memoir of peoples from the
past, it also represents a new argument by Le ́vi-
Strauss, one which he broaches in his introduction,
but really advances through his use of visual
images. Le ́vi-Strauss laments the disappearance of
these cultures, and identifies as the culprit the insti-
tution of European economic models and the sub-LE ́VI-STRAUSS, CLAUDE