Identified on the reverse side as Fritz Vesterling, this trooper of the Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika posed in a rather informal way when compared to the much more martial poses generally seen in German colonial troops from the same time period.

 

Holding a rather well-worn guitar, Trooper Vesterling's boots are covered with the local Windhuk dust. He wears the late and rather plain Kord Litewka/Feldrock pattern corduroy uniform and a visored cord field cap. Although identified, due to the limited information available nothing else is known about the guitar-strumming Fritz Vesterling.

Cabinet Photograph
Herman Schütze - Photographer
Windhuk, Deutsch Südwestafrika
c. 1900