Photo Gallery

Evening scene on Weligama Beach in the Galle district on the south coast of Sri Lanka. A cormorant dives for prey while stilt fishermen fish from their high seats rammed into the seabed. This method is an unusual form of fishing that originated during the Second World War. Balancing on this frame, the fishermen often hold a fishing rod in one hand for hours while storing their catch in a bag attached to their waist. The poles are often passed down from generation to generation within families. – 1990

A fisherman sits on a wooden structure, known as a ‘petta’, which is anchored to the seabed. He waits patiently there for hours on his stilts until the fish bite. – 1990

This building is known as Ernest Cottage (as indicated by the inscription on the gable). It is located in the Magalle district of Galle, in southern Sri Lanka. According to the inscription, the house was built in 1907 (2450 B.E. in the Buddhist calendar). It is considered a typical example of a late 19th or early 20th century bourgeois residence in the coastal region of Sri Lanka. – 1990

An elderly man walking through the streets of Galle with an umbrella and a walking stick. - 1990

Two women dressed in traditional saris walking down a street in Galle. The sari is a traditional wrap-around garment, often made of cotton or silk and worn in a variety of colours and patterns. – 1990

A worker in Sri Lanka produces cinnamon sticks using traditional methods. This process involves peeling the bark from the branches of the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum verum). Cinnamon is the inner bark of this tree. First, the outer, rough bark is scraped off the branch. The remaining bark is rubbed with a brass rod to separate it from the wood. Then, a special knife is used to peel off the thin inner bark layer in long strips. These pieces of bark are intertwined and dried, causing them to roll up into the familiar cinnamon sticks. Sri Lanka is known worldwide for its high-quality Ceylon cinnamon, also known as ‘true cinnamon’. Production is traditionally often in the hands of the Salagama caste. - 1990

A young man from Boossa near Galle carries a large bundle of cinnamon sticks. Sri Lanka is known worldwide for producing high-quality ‘real’ Ceylon cinnamon and covers about 90% of global demand. Unlike the more common cassia cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon is considered finer, sweeter and contains significantly less coumarin, making it safer for consumption. For many families in rural areas of Sri Lanka, cinnamon cultivation is their primary source of livelihood. – 1990

A large bundle of cinnamon sticks, which are obtained from the dried inner bark of cinnamon trees. Cinnamon is used worldwide as a spice in cooking, baking and beverages. The picture shows the traditional harvesting and storage in bundles, as is customary in growing regions in Sri Lanka. – 1990

A group of fishermen on the coast of Galle, in southern Sri Lanka, who traditionally work together to pull a large net out of the water that has been set out at sea from a boat. This form of small-scale fishing has been practised for generations and is often an important part of the local identity and economy in coastal villages. – 1990