China Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868 – 1872
Featuring over 150 high-quality black-and-white photographs, the book offers rare glimpses of late Qing dynasty China:
- Stunning vistas of rivers, temples, and urban centers
- Intimate portraits of Manchu brides in elaborate wedding attire and Mandarin officials in formal dress
- Street life scenes including gamblers, priests, and night watchmen
- Domestic and cultural moments that reveal the humanist eye of Thomson’s lens
Curated and edited by Betty Yao, this edition draws upon the original glass plate negatives preserved at the Wellcome Institute. It includes three contextual essays by leading scholars that situate Thomson’s work within the history of photography, travel, and cross-cultural exchange.
Thomson’s photographs are not only technically remarkable—given the cumbersome equipment and fragile glass negatives of the era—but also culturally invaluable. His ability to gain access to private spaces, including photographing women, was extraordinary for a foreigner at the time. The collection stands as one of the earliest and most comprehensive visual records of China before modernization, making this book essential for collectors, historians, and enthusiasts of photography and Asian studies.
This is a scarce and hard-to-find book and is the subject of major museum exhibitions worldwide such as the National Museums Liverpool, and the Textile Museum.
China Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872 – Crow Museum
This book warranted a place on the website of the Crow Museum of Asian Art and the Daily Mail