Jim Corbett and his Leica.

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

In my early teens at Grammar School here in the UK,I took out a book from the school library called 'Man Eaters of Kumaon',by Jim Corbett.This was an account by Jim Corbett of his experiences in the early 1900's as a hunter tracking down on foot, and killing, man eating tigers and leopards which were terrorising the local populations in his home area of Northern India.He was born there in 1875,of English/Irish migrant stock

The book led me to a lifetime of interest in Jim Corbett and his life,and I continued to read his other books.I came to realise that although having been hunting game in the jungles around his home since the age of eight,he later turned more to the camera than the gun, in relationships with the animals around him.

I have just read the biography of his life,and thought that it may be interesting to record here some camera information from that book.

In 1937 Jim purchased his last camera--"which served him well until the end of his life"
"in the summer of that year Jim went to Calcutta specifically to buy the latest equipment.In the Photographic Stores and Agency Co.Ltd he purchased a Leica Model 3,one of the first 35mm cameras.It had a black body with chrome trim and came with a template for cutting the film loading tongue, and was fitted in a three compartment tan leather shoulder case.The lens was a Leitz Elmar 1:3.5 50mm."

Later Jim purchased the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Hektor 1:1.9 7.3cm telephoto lens,the universal viewfinder and the 5cm expansion ring for close-uo photography.All the equipment was passed to relatives on his death in1955.

In other references in the book it is apparent that at times film was processed on site when he camped out in the jungle.Quite a task I would say.Also from 1926 he owned a Bell and Howell 16mm movie camera,and presumably used it on nature photography.

He became a huge advocate for conservation from the mid 1930's,and is regarded as a hero in India,and a wildlife reserve -- the Jim Corbett National Park ,is named in his honour.

Brian.

 

[victoriapio]

That book, "Man Eaters of Kumnaon" is required reading for anyone interested in learning how easy it is to become the hunted when Corbett was hunting man-eating cats in India. Absolutely some of the most rivetting and scary tales of Indian tigers you will ever read. As he admits in the book, he was very lucky to have survived those encounters.

In my early teens at Grammar School here in the UK,I took out a book from the school library called 'Man Eaters of Kumaon',by Jim Corbett.This was an account by Jim Corbett of his experiences in the early 1900's as a hunter tracking down on foot, and killing, man eating tigers and leopards which were terrorising the local populations in his home area of Northern India.He was born there in 1875,of English/Irish migrant stock

SNIP ...

Brian.

 

[faris]

I too have read most of the books by Jim Corbett while I was studying in England.

I was saddened to note that he single handedly was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of tigers in the sub-continent.

Making a retribution later on in his life does not absolve him from having contributed to the dwindling population of these beautiful animals during the British Raj.

That they were man-eating tigers, in most instances, has never been proven. That he hunted them down with impunity and authored his exploits for the mostly genteel lords and ladies speaks for itself.

I love tigers and especially the Sunderban variety. Read his exploits about how hundreds were killed with him holding the rifle surrounded by poor native trackers.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I too have read most of the books by Jim Corbett while I was studying in England.
I was saddened to note that he single handedly was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of tigers in the sub-continent.
Making a retribution later on in his life does not absolve him from having contributed to the dwindling population of these beautiful animals during the British Raj.
That they were man-eating tigers, in most instances, has never been proven. That he hunted them down with impunity and authored his exploits for the mostly genteel lords and ladies speaks for itself.
I love tigers and especially the Sunderban variety. Read his exploits about how hundreds were killed with him holding the rifle surrounded by poor native trackers.

It was a different age, of course, when what was considered admirable or even normal would not pass scrutiny today. In so many things.
However, you seem not to have acknowledged part of the OP's notes which include:- "He became a huge advocate for conservation from the mid 1930's,and is regarded as a hero in India,and a wildlife reserve -- the Jim Corbett National Park, is named in his honour."

It's too easy to sit back today and criticise people from an earlier age for not meeting the norms or standards of 21st Century western civilisation (such as it is). What are you actually doing about your proclaimed love of tigers, and about the families of those "poor native trackers"? If nothing, then your criticism of Corbett is hollow, self-serving and simply emotive.

 

[faris]

I am doing what I am doing for my love of animals. I don't have to gloat about it.

Just because someone has a national park named after him/her is not the issue.

There is a statue of a certain gentleman in the grounds Oxford university
who said, and I paraphrase..' I am after diamonds, I have no use for ******s'. Yes it was a different time.

All I am saying is that killing tigers, mostly for trophies while sitting on elephants, and then writing books about it is distasteful to me.

Others might have a different opinion..I respect that. But don't necessarily
have to agree with it.

I do not get personal about issues being discussed and I would request you
to do so too. Let's keep it genteel.

It was a different age, of course, when what was considered admirable or even normal would not pass scrutiny today. In so many things.
However, you seem not to have acknowledged part of the OP's notes which include:- "He became a huge advocate for conservation from the mid 1930's,and is regarded as a hero in India,and a wildlife reserve -- the Jim Corbett National Park, is named in his honour."

It's too easy to sit back today and criticise people from an earlier age for not meeting the norms or standards of 21st Century western civilisation (such as it is). What are you actually doing about your proclaimed love of tigers, and about the families of those "poor native trackers"? If nothing, then your criticism of Corbett is hollow, self-serving and simply emotive.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Let's keep it genteel.

Like this? "for the mostly genteel lords and ladies...".

 

[faris]

Like this? "for the mostly genteel lords and ladies...".

Exactly. Thank you.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Actually, without being revisionist or overly sentimental about it, there is a serious problem, and it's today. The descendants of those "poor natives", well, some of them, have turned to poaching and there's a lucrative trade going on between native poachers, unscrupulous traders and wealthy individuals who buy bits of tigers either for trophies or more often for "medicinal" properties.
Corbett's gone. What he did wouldn't be accepted today and he did a fair amount of damage to the tiger population whilst being portrayed as a hero. You could paint a similar scenario in a number of cases from the past - some as recent as the 1950's and 60's. I had a relative who fought in WW1. Upstanding citizen and churchgoer. His diaries reveal attitudes to non-Caucasian people that make me wince every time I read them but he was a local hero - lost his life over France flying Sopwiths, awarded the DFC and did what he saw as his duty to God, King and Country. Good guy, but different times and different attitudes that don't stand up too well to scrutiny today.
The very real danger is now - the dwindling population of tigers in India is going to lead more certainly to their extinction than anything Corbett did when their numbers were much higher. The illegal trade that occurs today is the real threat.

 

[faris]

" Corbett's gone. What he did wouldn't be accepted today and he did a fair amount of damage to the tiger population whilst being portrayed as a hero"

Thank you. That's what I was trying to say, maybe not as well as you wrote.

" The illegal trade that occurs today is the real threat. "

That, again , is something I am in agreement with.

 

[Michael Markey]

Well I never thought that I`d find Jim Corbert mentioned here.A childhood hero of mine too.
I still read his books.
Didn`t know about the Leica conection though.
Different times and different values.I dare say that in the future they will look back at some of our mores and assumptions and wince.
Thanks for the post.

 

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Thanks for the interest lads---good to see that others also enjoyed the Corbett books.🙂
I expect he did his best to atone,which I'm sure,that when necessary in our own lives, we would all aspire to do.

My reason for the post was only to share our common photographic interest.

Cheers,
Brian.

 

[scottwallick]

I am amused by the concept of 'man-eating tigers'. A tiger with opportunity in proximity to a man will be a so-called 'man-eating tiger'.

As humans encroach on animals habitats, this is going to happen. Shall we romanticize the killing tigers for acting like tigers?

With the human-elephant conflict escalating in parts of the world, I expect soon to hear of righteous hunters striking out to slay 'man-gorging elephants'.

 

[victoriapio]

I may be wrong but "man eating" as applied to Corbett referred to tigers that had ALREADY eaten quite a few locals. And I do not recall a single story where he hunted tigers from an elephant. Elephants could not go into the kind of terrain where most of his "man eating tiger hunts" took place. Read the book, you will enjoy it.

 

[faris]

I may be wrong but "man eating" as applied to Corbett referred to tigers that had ALREADY eaten quite a few locals. And I do not recall a single story where he hunted tigers from an elephant. Elephants could not go into the kind of terrain where most of his "man eating tiger hunts" took place. Read the book, you will enjoy it.

" as applied to Corbett referred to tigers that had ALREADY eaten quite a few locals." Just because he says so in his books. People could have gone missing for other reasons too.

" And I do not recall a single story where he hunted tigers from an elephant.". Elephants were used by trackers to drive the tiger where the Hunter Sahib was lying in wait.

" Read the book, you will enjoy it." I have not only read ' The book ' but daresay ' a few more' of Mr. Corbett's brave exploits.

Tastes differ. I dropped him from my recommended reading list after a few. But that's just me.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

We should stop picking on the tigers. There have always been more villagers than tigers - So what if a few went missing? There's always plenty more.

 

[faris]

The tigers are hungary. The villagers are moving into towns and cities.

p.s maybe we can send some leica photogs to do a story on their hunger. A personal encounter, shall we say.

p.p.s maybe we could send in some ' tiger specialists ' to try to convert the tigers into vegetarians. for sure they would be no threat to man and they might loose their medicinal advantages too!

Posting signs saying ' beware Tiger, Jim Corbett was here ' hasn't worked.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

p.p.s maybe we could send in some ' tiger specialists ' to try to convert the tigers into vegetarians.

This sounds like a job for the CIA. They are said to have had some experience with goats in the past. Got to be some transferable skills there somewhere.