The 100th Anniversary of the Death of Asia's Groundbreaking Photographer

[PeterRS]

In the early-mid 1800s Scotland was at the forefront of technological advances in photography. One who took up an apprenticeship in the art of photography was Edinburgh-born John Thomson. In 1862 aged 25 he set sail on what was to become a 10 year sojourn in much of Asia,  including Thailand, Singapore, Malaya, Sumatra, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macao and China. 60 of his more than 600 photographs were featured in an Exhibition in Bangkok in 2015 "Siam Through The Lens of John Thomson." Thomson's are the earliest-known photos from these countries. His photographs not only introduced many in the west to the lands and peoples of the east, they established him as one of the pioneers of photo journalism.

Thomson died 100 years ago last month. Thankfully his negatives were bought up decades ago by the Wellcome Foundation and are now safely stored in London, although prints from them are lent out for regular exhibitions. Copyright of the photos below being to the Wellcome Foundation but were widely used in publicity (e.g. in the Bangkok Post) for Exhibitions in Bangkok and Hong Kong.

The Chao Phraya River from Wat Arun

Sailing Ships on the Chao Phraya

King Mongut (Rama 4)

In a Buddhist Temple

The Royal Barge

Discussion amongst Han Chinese (the pigtails mark them out as not being Manchus)

Chinese Ladies at Tea

The Facade of St. Paul's Church in Macao (which still exists today)

An Exhibition of Thomson's China photographs is presently running at Edinburgh's Heriot Watt University to mark the foundation of the university 200 years ago. The Exhibition finishes on 25 March 2022.