![Atop Empire State- in construction; Chrysler Bldg & [Daily] News in middle foreground. (1931)](../../../img/Atop-Empire-State-in-construction-Chrysler-Bldg-Daily-News-in-middle-foreground.-1931--199x123.jpg "Balancing on the Empire State, 1920s")
‘Iain McCell’s ‘The New Gypsies’ is a 10 year project following Horse Drawn Travelers who live a low carbon footprint life style.’
- Iain McCell.com
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Thank you to Iain Mckell
The New Gypsies
If you like this, check out:
- Circumstance
Bathing Parades c. 1920s
Abandoned St Peter's Seminary, Cardross, Scotland- Abandoned Homes, California
Retro-futuristic Submarine Apartment
Brigitte Bardot at Cannes, 1953
Rolls-Royce 10EX Concept Car, 1925
Evolution of Lucasfilm Christmas Cards, 1977-2010
Delage D8-120 S Pourtout Aero Coupe, 1937- Iggy and the Stooges, Farmington High School, MI, December 5th, 1970
The Studley Tool Chest
Ballet on Broadway, 1958
BMW R7 Prototype, 1937- The Acme Catalog
Early 3-D Photographs
I’ve always been fascinated by the gypsy lifestyle. I want to live with them for a week just to see what it’s like.
Gypsy is not a lifestyle choice. It’s an ethnicity. Half a million died in the camps in World War2. Many are currently persecuted and even dying across Europe particularly Eastern Europe. This is grown up dress up. Many Ren Faire “Gypsies” perpetuate harmful myths and stereotypes. Two minutes on Google can educate you about real Gypsies-our preferred name is Roma or Rroma. Try Ian Hancock and Patrin for an excellent resource. Or just google Gypsy and, for example, Bulgaria, for current info on riots, protests and persecution.
These are photos of people posing in the most negative, stereotypical way…not real gypsies. It serves to reinforce the prejudice against those of real Rroma ethnicity…just look at one of the comments which calls for them to not have any children. Old, bitter bigotry is hard to overcome and photos like these do nothing to help.
They certainly don’t look like “Ren Fair Gypsies” to me. Rather, they look authentic, so I Googled this some more to see if they were Travelers mislabeled as Gypsies (same ancient lifestyle, same discrimination, different ethnicity– not Roma but Irish). They’re not. They’re leftovers from some 1980s “Post-Punk Anti-Thatcher protesters” movement, and despite all that garbage and plastic in the above photo, they’re supposedly committed to the sustainable lifestyle. Not too sure I buy that.
Still, Germaine, you’re condemning assumptions in the same sentence that you’re making them. These people sought out this lifestyle willingly, but they’ve also been at it for nearly three decades, and therefore it’s all some of the younger ones pictured above know.
Authentic? Are you kidding me? We don’t dress up in silly costumes. There are a wide variety of native dress depending on your vitsa-where your family is from, ranging from India to the U.S. and South America. Sinti like the Kalo in Spain and the Manouche in France can also vary widely from the traditional idea of Roma wear. Many modern Roma don’t even wear these. Cites your sources. Produce authentic links that show Roma dress up in bad Halloween costumes. Travellers, which the Pavee spell with two L’s in general, don’t dress up like this either. Ren Faire people do- hence the identification. Also, you missed the main point Gypsy does not equal lifestyle. These people are free to get up to whatever they like but that doesn’t make them Gypsies/Roma. It doesn’t matter what the children where raised as-they are not gypsy. If they want to have a semi-nomadic made up lifestyle that is their choice and freedom. But calling people who are playing something of game of pretend however long it goes on in made up costumes by the name of a persecuted ethnicity is ignorant. Again I suggest you start with Patrin and educate yourself on the variety of modern Roma, both those who practice older customs of both dress and culture and modern practice Roma who wear pretty much what any one else does. Dr. Hancock is a professor at the University of Texas and he wears what other professors wear from business casual to suits, etc. By stating that they “look authentic” to you when you are clearly not conversant with Roma either traditional or modern, you are further perpetuating myths, stereotypes and ignorance. Did you Google what has been happening in places like Bulgaria and even Italy? You might have seen real Roma and perhaps understood the gravity of the situation. We look back now on minstrel shows as repugnant and ignorant. Dressing up and calling yourself Gypsy is just as offensive, most especially in light of the the thousands who died in the camps and the many who continue to suffer from human rights abuses such as forced sterilization, false imprisonment, denial of education and access to housing and work and the most basic necessities of life. Another excellent source is Amnesty International- Google Amnesty and antiziganism and you will find a wealth of information http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/feature-stories/europes-roma-community-still-facing-massive-discrimination-20090408