Peking, Pechili province, China: a Muslim butcher. Photograph by John Thomson, 1869.
- Thomson, J. (John), 1837-1921.
- Date:
- 1869
- Reference:
- 19692i
- Pictures
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Description
A plump, smiling butcher working at his stall, with various carcasses behind him. The same man as shown in Thomson's negative number 721. Bowls and dishes on a chopping table. A dog prowls in the foreground. Throughout the Qing, Beijing’s butcher shops were run by the Chinese and Muslims. Muslim butchers, in particular, were known for their good-quality meat and carving skills. The man in this photograph had a shop in the Qianmen area. According to Thomson, he had a happy, smiling face, and stood behind a small wooden counter 'encircled by carcasses of sheep, ghastly heads, and entrails'
Publication/Creation
1869
Physical description
1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion : stereograph
Contributors
Lettering
Mahometan butcher, Peking
Bears Thomson's negative number: "720"
Notes
This is one of a collection of original glass negatives made by John Thomson. The negatives, made between 1868 and 1872, were purchased from Thomson by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1921
References note
China through the lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872, Beijing: Beijing World Art Museum, 2009, p. 61 (reproduced)
Reference
Wellcome Collection 19692i
Type/Technique
Languages
Subjects
Where to find it
Location Status Access Closed storesBy appointment Manual request Note