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conservative troops, march 1927
 
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Photo USNA2-3.1.   General Aviles, under Gen. Noguera Gómez, with officers, morning of March 28.



 

Photo USNA2-3.2.   Headquarters of General Noguera Gómez, morning of March 28.



 

Marvelously unstaged and captioned as the "headquarters of General Noguera Gómez," the photo shows several officers seated at a table inside the stick-and-thatch hut, either meeting or eating or both, while another officer strolls in from the right, accompanied by an aide, and two soldiers stand guard at left; the soldier at the far left appears nearly barefoot and quite young, perhaps around 14 or 15?

Photo USNA2-3.3.   Field telegraph & telephone office of Gen. Noguera Gómez, morning of March 28.



This "field telegraph & telephone office" closely resembles the "headquarters" in the previous photograph.  The portly man second from right, and his aide at the far right, appear to be the same individuals strolling into the "headquarters" hut in the previous photo.  The officer in the center is not identified.

Photo USNA2-3.4.   Female cooks accompanying Noguera Gómez's forces, morning of March 28.





Despite its overexposure and blurriness, this is another exceptional photograph.  As the cooking-fire smoulders to the right, the man in the foreground at left appears to glare ominously at the photographer, conveying a strong sense that he's not happy that the women are being photographed; one almost senses that he's concerned with protecting the sexual exclusivity of the females (or perhaps perturbed that he's been asked to momentarily delay his movement toward the cooking food as the photographer snaps the shot).  As we zoom in to the rail-thin man and the women in the background, we catch a rare glimpse of a woman nursing a baby, here seated on a hammock.  This must be the woman Major Bloor references on p. 6 of his report:   "There are several women soldiers with Gomez' army.  His cook has her 6 weeks old baby in camp with her."

Photo USNA2-3.5.   Female soldier with Noguera Gómez' forces, morning of March 28.



 

A rare image indeed.   Her hair cut short and wearing a man's attire, this young woman soldier poses for the photographer as she stands at attention next to a sizeable field hut (the side of Gen. Noguera Gómez's field headquarters?), cradling her rifle at her left, her countenance perhaps bespeaking muted reluctance at being photographed and suspicion at the photographer's intent.

Photo USNA2-3.6.   Ox-cart transportation of Gen. Noguera Gómez, afternoon, March 28.






Another very revealing image, spontaneous and unstaged, created with the intention of displaying Nicaraguan military conveyance technology.  It serves its purpose well:  these are great images of ox-carts.  No oxen are in sight, and the five carts, packed tight in a row, look empty.  On the ground lie rows of crates; four men sit on the biggest cluster.  All this leads one to suspect that these men were resting after emptying the ox-carts of their cargo.  Two men look directly at the camera, the other two ignore it.  One man's face seems to convey suspicion or hostility, or maybe curiosity; or maybe all three while he's squinting into the sun.  The other three men seem wearily indifferent that they're being photographed.  All wear scarves of blue & white.

Photo USNA2-3.7.   Pack ox used to carry supplies from Boaco to Noguera Gómez's forces, March 28.



Great (if overexposed) image of a fully-loaded pack-ox headed straight at you.  And of two horses' and one soldier's backsides. 

Photo USNA2-3.8.   Pack ox used to carry supplies from Boaco to Noguera Gómez's forces, March 28.


Major Rodriguez pausing mid-stream, his fully-loaded pack-ox taking a drink. 

Photo USNA2-3.9.   Pack mule, showing type of aparejo used.  Boaco, Sunday morning, March 27.

An interesting and horizontally layered photograph of compelling composition and detail, probably snapped in Boaco on the morning of Sunday, March 27, 1927, judging from Major Bloor's report.  The viewer sees from the close-up frontquarters of the tethered mule and its aparejo, to the US mule-rider at mid-distance (probably Major Rodriguez, wiping his eyes?  adjusting his cavalry-scout Stetson hat?  picking his nose?), to the buildings in the background, to the horizon in the far distance.  At the far right a blurred man walks across the street.  The caption reads:  "Pack mule, showing type of aparejo used."

Photo USNA2-3.10.   Pack mule & street scene in Boaco, Sunday morning, March 27.



Boaco, probably, on the morning of Sunday, March 27, 1927.  Intended to illustrate the mule's aparejo, the photo also shows a typical urban street scene in the Pacific Coast region during this period.  Two barefoot boys stand nearby, while men & women walk & sit & live their lives in the distance.

THE END

of Major A. W. Bloor's photographs of Conservative forces, March 26-28, 1927.


 

 

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