One social group that appears near- absent in Flieringa’s report and in his pho-tographic collection are women. This was due to the restriction in communication between men and women in Yemen. A female European visitor, Hedwig Weiss-Sonnenbrug, who visited Yemen shortly before Flieringa, had more access to women. Thanks to her we not only have photographs of Yemeni women in those days, but also a unique description of their lives, since she was able to visit the Imam’s harem. As the photographs shown here demonstrate, not all women were constrained in their movement. Outside of Sanaa, many women were hard at work.
Cornelis Adriaanse, Vrouwen bij waterput, Neder-Tihāma / [Women at a well, Lower- Tihama], in: [photo album] Zuid-Arabië. Reis van den Heer Andriaanse (verdrag met Yemen) 1933 / [South Arabia. Journey of Mr. Adriaanse (treaty with Yemen) 1933], photo 2 (Or. 26.374: 2)
Cornelis Adriaanse, Vrouwen in de Boven-Tihāma dragen platte gevochten hoeden / [Women in the Upper Tihama wear flat braided hats], in: [photo album] Zuid-Arabië. Reis van den Heer Andriaanse (verdrag met Yemen) 1933 / [South Arabia. Journey of Mr. Adriaanse (treaty with Yemen) 1933], photo 5 (Or. 26.374: 5)
Cornelis Adriaanse, Asr bij Sanʿāʾ - Ezels en vrouwen zijn de lastdragers der hoogvlakte / Asr near Sanaa - Donkeys and women are the burden bearers of the plateau, in: [photo album] Zuid-Arabië. Reis van den Heer Andriaanse (1932) / [South Arabia. Journey of Mr. Adriaanse (1932)], photo 51 (Or. 26.373: 51)