China: three Manchu ladies inside a courtyard, Beijing. Photograph by John Thomson, 1869.

  • Thomson, J. (John), 1837-1921.
Date:
1869
Reference:
19646i
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About this work

Description

Three women in Mr Yang's courtyard beside a balcony, showing their hairstyles. One of them, sitting on the balcony railing, seems to have artificially deformed feet. One woman faces the camera, another stands with her back towards the camera, while the third sits sideways. Clearly, in this photograph Thomson posed his models in order to show the elaborate hairstyles of Manchu women: 'I confess myself unable to explain the mysterious mode in which the tresses have been twisted, but careful study of the illustrations will, I doubt not, reward any lady who may desire to dress her hair "à la Manchu".'

Publication/Creation

1869

Physical description

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion : stereograph

Lettering

Manchu ladies, Peking Bears Thomson's negative number: "699"

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. 34 (reproduced)

Reference

Wellcome Collection 19646i

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