Foochow (Fouzhou), Fukien province, China: a colonial mansion. Photograph by John Thomson, 1870/1871.

A colonial mansion with walled garden, three figures (mother, father and son?) on the steps to house. By the time of Thomson s visit Fuzhou had a well-established foreign settlement, which was "picturesquely situated on eminences which command extensive views of the country around . . . Many varieties of European flowers and vegetables are grown here to great perfection by the Chinese gardeners. It is altogether a sort of place where foreigners may well be content to reside."

The people shown might include W.B. Kinnear, who may have been connected with the trading company Jardine Matheson

1870

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion

Mr Kinnear's [?] house Foochow China Bears Thomson's negative number: "322"

China through the lens of John Thomson, 1868-1872, Beijing: Beijing World Art Museum, 2009, p. 93 (reproduced)

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

Wellcome Collection 18902i