What's this a picture of?

I bought a lot of old photos ranging from early 1900s to 1940s.

My first reaction to this one was Jewish Concentration camp, but googling images the striping isn't matching up.

Then I thought maybe India?

Or maybe just some worker some where?

Any ideas?

The area that looks ripped is in the photo development

 

I love a good mystery. I had the same first impression as you. Do we have an idea what that machine is? Even my ol' man had no idea. I'll join you in Googling. Is that crushed rock or coal behind him? Presumably the machine has something to do with the pile? A coal-crusher or such?

 

The uniform looks like a very faded version of the concentration camp prisoners' uniforms...
Dang... hard to look at those pictures.

 

Oh, coal! I was thinking cement, but the large "slab" in the bucket didn't look like cement to me, so it wasn't adding up.

 

But if that were the case, why would he be smiling?

The pile of dark rocks behind him look (to me) like a coal tip. The tough part is what's on the stand - it seems so big that, if it were rock, those legs wouldn't support that much weight.

I can't think of the right term for the round, crank-handled thing - something that generates air at force, either in or out when cranked? The tube it is attached to seems to go up into the shallow "pan" of the stand. hmmm.

 

I doubt any camp uniform.
More likely ethnic - from someplace like Egypt, or one of the many other countries where men wear dress/tunic type clothing like a gallibaya.

 

the hand crank thing looks like an air raid siren.......but it seems here it's purpose would be to break up the coal into chunks...

 

Don got it!

https://www.google.com/search?q="po...X&ved=0CD8QsARqFQoTCPK_s_n1l8kCFQFXYwodE_AMuQ

 

The robe is just for heat protection - asbestos

 

Oh....& BTW....there's no such thing as a Jewish Concentration Camp...!

 

No, Professor Komo? What's the right term(s)?

 

Nazi Concentration Camp.......

 

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I get it.
Duh.
Sorry, and thanks!

 

I asked at work last night and my boss's father said its just basically like a smock workers used to wear.