Photography By David Price

Subject: Twelve year old Parva<p/>Comment: Unlike her older sister, Parva was outgoing and was happy to be photographed as she hand made bricks as part of the family group.<p/>Subject: Lady carrying Dhoko<p/>Comment: Working for twelve hours a day carrying bricks and clay, the basket or Dhoko weighs around fifty kilograms. Note the man in the background, a common site in Nepal men sitting and watching the women work!<p/>Subject: Six year old Lalita<p/>Comment: Lalita's job was to look after her brother, one of five children four sisters and brother one year old Rupesh. In Nepalese culture all families want a boy this family took five attempts. Note the factory chimney.<p/>Subject: Indian boy<p/>Comment: I was told this boy was twelve years old. A large group loaded the kiln carrying the unfired grey bricks on their heads. The bricks turn red during firing and weigh one and a half kgs each. The boys carry eight or ten at a time and show great strength and skill.<p/>Subject: Bose<p/>Comment: A shy boy ten year old Bose worked with his brother.<p/>Subject: Thirteen year old Tulsha<p/>Comment: The oldest sister worked five or six hours a day. The heavy work was carried out by her father but she was highly skilled when it came to using the brick mold. The logo in which is not a swastika it's a good luck sign in Nepal.<p/>Subject: Small boy<p/>Comment: working with the women this boy worked ten hours a day. Here he carries twenty bricks weighing 30 kgs (66pounds) He ran away when I pointed the lens at him, my guide told me in his culture he believed every time his photo was taken it shortened his life!<p/>Subject: Lalita<p/>Comment: The only part of the brick making process six year old Lalita was responsible for was turning the bricks. After molding they were turned over after two or three days then stacked ready for the kiln.<p/>Subject: Indian boy<p/>Comment: This boy looked by far the youngest of the Indian labourers. What do you think? I would put him at nine or ten!<p/>Subject: Parva<p/>Comment: These girls made a significant contribution to the families brick production. As a group they manufactured around fifteen hundred bricks per day. Pictured the bricks on the floor are that days production. Stacked in the background bricks produced several days before.<p/>Subject: messy work<p/>Comment: Clay covered hands<p/>Subject: Binod<p/>Comment: It was Binod my guide and I first met whilst looking for a suitable family to photograph. He was the head of the group. Working along side his uncle, father Baburam and wife Sangita. The whole family were so nice to my guide and I making us food on every visit. Thanks Binod<p/>Subject: Woman tipping clay<p/>Comment: Note the men in the background! Sat watching the women work.<p/>Subject: Lalita<p/>Comment: I just love this portrait<p/>Subject: Kiln doorway<p/>Comment: These doorways were the way in and out of the kiln. Every brick passed through these openings.<p/>Subject: Lady and girl<p/>Comment: A girl to the left and woman on the right just count the bricks the lady carrys THIRTY TWO weighing fifty kgs.<p/>Subject: Bose<p/>Comment: lifting bricks ten year old Bose lifts six bricks here.<p/>Subject:Indian boy<p/>Comment: One of the older boys showing the strain in his face.<p/>Subject: Binod's father Baburam<p/>Comment: Always smiling he was unbelievably fit. Daily he mixed clay moulded bricks and stacked them; sometimes starting at three am often working twelve hours a day. He ate like a horse. Here carrying eight bricks.<p/>Subject: Lost Boy<p/>Comment: My guide Enoch spotted this small boy wondering about on the morning of my lat visit. Turns out he wondered away from his home in the night and due to the mist got lost. We gave him tea and some food. The mist cleared and off he went he had figured out where his house was. Pictured in the kiln flue.<p/>Subject: Tulsha<p/>Comment: Stacking bricks.<p/>Subject: Sangita<p/>Comment: Binods wife a great cook fed my guide and I on every visit. Here stacking the fifteen hundred bricks which had dried out over five days.<p/>Subject: Lalita<p/>Comment: Lalita seemed to appear all over the factory complex. In the background bricks drying in the sunshine.<p/>Subject: Mamurali<p/>Comment: Father to four girls and a boy, the family produced fifteen hundred bricks per day over a six month season. There payment 450 NR per 1000 that's about four pounds sterling. On my trip I met adults whose wage was 3000NR per month so this family earned a good living but it's very physical work!<p/>Subject: Nira<p/>Comment: Working with the family for up to twelve hours a day Nira rarely looked up. Making bricks and looking after her five children must be exhausting.<p/>Subject: Finished bricks<p/>Comment; Parva Lalita and Ruka playing on the mountain of finished bricks<p/>Subject: Ruku<p/>Comment: Two year old Ruku the youngest girl pictured, stood in an old truck as the sun set over the brick factory.<p/>Subject: Indian man<p/>Comment: Firing the bricks is highly skilled work. Indians work in large groups the boys load the kiln the men fire the bricks, they are considered experts Indians not the Nepalese do this work.<p/>Subject: Parva<p/>Comment: Working hard stacking the hand made bricks.<p/>Subject: Kiln wall<p/>Comment: Repairing the kiln wall.<p/>Subject: Rupesh<p/>Comment: All the girls idolised baby Rupesh the only boy in the family. Lalitas job was to look after him. This image captured on my first morning.<p/>Subject: Sun Set<p/>Comment: My last shot as I left the brick factory on my final day. For me a rare landscape.<p/>
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Subject: Twelve year old Parva

Comment: Unlike her older sister, Parva was outgoing and was happy to be photographed as she hand made bricks as part of the family group.

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Twelve year old Parva
© copyright 2007 David Price