Their was an excellent programme on the TV last night about a French Banker and Philanthopist called Albert Kahn, who at the beginning of the 20th century financed several photographers to go around the world taking pictures using a new colour technique. He named his collection 'The Archive of the Planet' and he believed that if people could see all these wonderful images it could bring about an end to Wars, as through them a better understanding of different cultures and people would be aquired. A beautiful ideal indeed, equally beautiful were the pictures themselves. The technique used was called the autochrome system. It was created using potato starch, this seems to have given the pictures an organic feel. The colours created, particularly the reds, are absolutely stunning and photo's have an otherworldy ethereal quality to the point that some of them could almost be paintings. Here is a selection from the archive.
(The programme runs for another four weeks on BBC Four on Thursdays between 9pm-10pm.)



Young woman applying make-up, Hanoi Vietnam, between 1914-1915


The young girls who act as chess pieces in a life-sized game of chess as part of a village ritual.


A lemonade vendor, Belgrade, Yugoslavia. May 1913


Buddhist Temple, Tam Dao, Vietnam. June 1916.


The holy bull Nandi or Nandikeschwara, a symbol for joy and honesty and the animal of the God Schiwa. Benares, January 1914.


Ghats (bath places) in Benares, also where cremations take place, January 1914.


The statue of Eros, Piccadilly, London.


London Peace Parade, Knightsbridge, London, 19 July 1919.


Eel fisherman on Lough Lee, North of Athlone, County West Meath, Ireland, June 1913.


Fringe-maker in Galway, Ireland during May 1913.


Woman and child outside the smallest house in Claddagh, Galway, Ireland.(Claddagh being the home of the last celtic community of Ireland.) June 1913.