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Book/Printed Material Illustrations of China and Its People: A Series of Two Hundred Photographs, with Letterpress Descriptive of the Places and People Represented.

[ Volume 1 ]

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[ Volume 2 ]
[ Volume 3 ]
[ Volume 4 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Illustrations of China and Its People: A Series of Two Hundred Photographs, with Letterpress Descriptive of the Places and People Represented.

Summary

  • John Thomson (1837-1921) was the first known photographer to document the people and landscape of China for publication and dissemination to the Western world. Between 1868 and 1872, he traveled over 6,500 kilometers with his camera, equipment, and darkroom, capturing all aspects of Chinese life. The photographs in these four volumes show the many sides of China: sweeping landscapes, royalty and ruling classes, merchants and economic activity, everyday life, and the faces of men, women, and children. Thomson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of a tobacco spinner and seller. He was apprenticed to an optician and scientific instrument maker in 1851, and attended evening classes to study science. In April 1862, he set out for Singapore, where his older brother William was a watchmaker and photographer. While jointly operating with his brother a business making chronometers and optical and nautical instruments, Thomson began using Singapore as a base from which to travel extensively throughout Asia, taking photographs and recording his observations. In 1868, he moved to Hong Kong and began his project to photograph the people of China. After a decade in Asia, he returned to Britain, where he published the results of his travels and operated a portrait studio in London.

Names

  • Thomson, John, 1837-1921 Photographer.

Created / Published

  • London : Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, [1873 to 1874]

Headings

  • -  China
  • -  1873 to 1874
  • -  Cities and towns
  • -  Clothing and dress
  • -  Description and travel
  • -  Group portraits
  • -  Portrait photographs
  • -  Street scenes

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 4 volumes : illustrations ; 49 x 37 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: Yale University Library.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666642

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Thomson, John, Photographer. Illustrations of China and Its People: A Series of Two Hundred Photographs, with Letterpress Descriptive of the Places and People Represented. [London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, to 1874, 1873] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666642/.

APA citation style:

Thomson, J. (1873) Illustrations of China and Its People: A Series of Two Hundred Photographs, with Letterpress Descriptive of the Places and People Represented. [London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, to 1874] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666642/.

MLA citation style:

Thomson, John, Photographer. Illustrations of China and Its People: A Series of Two Hundred Photographs, with Letterpress Descriptive of the Places and People Represented. [London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, to 1874, 1873] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666642/>.