湯姆生鏡頭下的晚清中國：十九世紀末的中國與中國人影像

by John Thomson, 葉伶芳 (Translator)

From Foreword - Unabridged reprint of 1873-1874 book. John Thomson photographed China from 1862 to 1872 traveling with the specific goal of making a photographic record of the Orient. Not allowing the complexities and wonders of Asia to awe or distract him, he honed his eye and exerted a harsh self-discipline. The author was always able to sublimate his personality and to allow the essence of his subject to register clearly. (Description by http-mart, Roy Schoenbeck)

Genres: Photography, History, Nonfiction

500 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1873

About the author

John Thomson was a pioneering Scottish photographer, geographer, and traveller. He was one of the first photographers to travel to the Far East, documenting the people, landscapes and artefacts of eastern cultures. Upon returning home, his work among the street people of London cemented his reputation, and is regarded as a classic instance of social documentary which laid the foundations for photojournalism. He went on to become a portrait photographer of High Society in Mayfair, gaining the Royal Warrant in 1881.

Reviews

[Tso William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about late Qing China from the perspective of what Cantonese refer as 'gweilo', i.e. a western foreigner, literally meaning 'ghost man'. John Thomson, the gweilo in question, travelled extensively in China and recorded his travels in photos which are, in my present edition, combined into a single volume.

I have myself travelled to some of the places and looking at those photos recalls a strange feeling that you are transported to a world that is both distant and familiar. The people in the photos had the faces that you can still see on the modern streets and yet, they were people of the last two centuries. By pure chance, they were fossilized in the photos and you, again by pure chance, came to know them through a gweilo.

Despite his best intention, John Thomson was at his heart an old-fashioned Victorian orientalist. He described the Chinese music as nothing better than noises fit to be played at the witches scene in Macbeth. He also made numerous other remarks that the Chinese were hopelessly disorganized and that they were awaiting free trade to liberate their ancient tradition.

This gives rise to his hidden and undeclared imperialist agenda. His detailed descriptions of the tea industry and weaponry manufactory were clearly to the tastes of the Victorians. Even his long shots of landscapes seem to invite speculation on strategic and military plan.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own the Chinese language version of this book (ISBN 978-7-5495-1122-8) and purchased a beautiful hard-copy version on Amazon China for a great price although the photos are not glossy prints but mere photocopies, so other versions might be better. Still, the photographs absorb my attention to the point I find myself not having finished the writing in the book. It is a book to be savored and treasured.

[二六 侯 · Rating 4 out of 5]

如果譯筆能更晚清風一點，不要有那麼多中國大陸當代詞彙，就太好了。