The First Photographs Ever Taken of China (1865-1871) by John Thomson; Anomalous Architecture!

Howdy ya’ll. Today we will dive into the Old World, browsing the incredible first images ever taken in China! These are dated to roughly 1865 through 1871, and these images are attributed to John Thomson, a pioneering 19th century photographer from Scotland. In the early 1860’s Thomson left behind a promising career in Scotland to head East, becoming the first to take detailed photographs of a vast majority of the Chinese landscape. These iconic images became quintessential to the Western World gaining a better appreciation of The Far East. What you will see today is immense architecture, photographed for the first time; massive pagodas, as well as ancient locations with mysterious origins. We will also focus on the people of 1860’s China, their overall means for travel and work, as well as the beautifully constructed places of worship. We will view the Great Wall of China, as well as numerous, isolated, island structures of massive proportions. My personal favorite, we will showcase the epic walls, as well as numerous other aspects, of Ancient Peking (Beijing). The implications of The Golden Horde, Tartary, and other northern Kingdoms and their influence on China will be weighed and, finally, we will view a cornucopia of marble structures from Ancient China. All of this showcased in the very first photographs of China, taken in the mid 1860’s through the early 1870’s. Overall, these are some of the most incredible photographs I have come across in my last few months of research. I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments down below. Enjoy! Topics discussed today; (photographer)