Photography in the Late Qing Dynasty: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Photography was introduced to China in the early 1840s. The early Western photographers in China were mainly driven by artistic pursuit or curiosity of the Orient. This paper argues that the artistic value of photography was higher and the purpose of photography was simpler during the first years of its introduction to China than the late nineteenth century when photography was increasingly associated with colonialism. The situation of Western photography in China changed profoundly in the latter decades of the nineteenth century: photography began to serve colonialism, and photographers became accomplices of the colonizers. In addition, this paper also addresses the experience of Zou Boqi, the first Chinese photographer, who combined traditional Chinese knowledge with Western science and produced the first Chinese camera in 1844. Both Chinese and Western photography have evolved as the technology advanced over time. However, Chinese and Western photographers differed greatly in their techniques, motivations, and choices of subject.