19th century China through the lens of a Scottish photographer

An exhibition displaying the work of Scottish photographer John Thomson has opened in London.

One of the first photographers to travel to the Far East in the 19th century, John Thompson's photographs offer rare insight into life in China in the late Qing dynasty.

Born just a few years after the invention of photography, John Thompson was one of the pioneers that introduced the art of photography to the east.

The exhibition, "China and Siam: Through the Lens of John Thompson," is taking place at the Brunei Gallery of SOAS at the University of London.

It is a collection of over 120 photos taken during his time in Asia, with many of them offering a glimpse of life in China in the 19th century.

"He was doing what we call today 'photo journalism,' although the concept was not yet born at that time. So unlike most western photographers in Asia during the 19th century, Thompson was recording what the country and its people really looked like," said Betty Yao, the co-curator of this exhibition.

12 years ago, it was a chance meeting at London's Wellcome Library that led Yao to rediscover Thompson's photographs.

Betty Yao (left) with guests at the opening ceremony of the "China and Siam-Through the Lens of John Thompson" exhibition

Since putting the exhibition together, the photos have toured in Asia, North America and Europe as part of 20 different exhibitions.

Thompson's photos cover a wide variety of subjects, including landscapes, people and architecture, as well as domestic and street scenes.

Betty Yao said that Thompson was able to truly sympathize with the subjects of his photography and reflected Chinese life toward the end of the Qing Dynasty without prejudice which was so often associated with western photographers at the time.

"For example, these two photos, one showing a teenage bride dressed in a gorgeous wedding outfit. She obviously lived an opulent life. But you can also see some sadness in her eyes as she contemplates a life confined in a household garden. The other picture shows a girl, simply dressed without any embellishment, working to make a life in fishing on the boat she calls home. You can see how content she is. You can almost feel her eyes beaming with happiness. As a foreign photographer 150 years ago, to be able to read into people's minds, is really something," said Yao.

A Manchu Bride, Beijing 1871-72, John Thompson

During his time in Asia, John Thompson was contracted to take high profile pictures of officials and imperial families, including the King of Siam, which is today's Thailand.

Betty Yao said it was Thompson's communication skills that allowed him rare access into the prestigious circles of 19th century Chinese society.

Despite this, Yao said Thompson's work also captured everyday life in China, with many of his photos focused on street vendors and common laborers.

"He was an excellent negotiator. He didn't speak Mandarin but was able to make a vast range of local friends. He respected his Chinese contemporaries and this helped him in photographing some of the most intimate scenes of Qing dynasty life. You know it was a time when people actually believed cameras would snatch their souls away," said Yao.

A Travelling Chiropodist, Beijing 1871-72, John Thompson

Thompson would also stay with Chinese families during his time in China, and was able to take photos of the women of the households during their leisure or doing daily chores.

Catherine Simcox, a Chinese textiles expert, said it's amazing to see photos of Chinese women in their traditional Qing dress and hair.

"It was 150 years, but it's a different world, totally different. And for westerners, you see when he came back to Britain and published these photographs. For people in this country, this is opening up a world that they are never going to visit, don't know much about, they may have read a little bit, but being able to see what

China and Chinese people in those photographs, that must be fascinating," said Simcox.

"What you are about to see in this exhibition is a reflection of a moment in time, by an extraordinary man and photographer, who wanted to let one part of the world know what the other part of the world looked like," said Lord David Puttnam, a film maker and educator and also a John Thompson enthusiast, who was the guest speaker at the exhibition's opening ceremony on Friday.

The exhibition is free to the public at the University of London until June 23.

(CHINA PLUS)