"Illustrations of China and Its People", John Thomson (1837-1921)

A Street in Hong-Kong
1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

The Toilet, 1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Musicians,1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Rolling Scented Caper and Gunpowder Teas, 1873

Weighing Tea for Exportation,
1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Reeling Silk, 1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Rock Inscription, Amoy,
1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Four Heads, Types of the Labouring Class, 1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Tea Picking in Canton, 1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

A Bride and Bridegroom,
1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Costume of Baksa Women, 1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Four Heads, Types of the Labouring Class, 1873

A Canton Trading Junk, 1873; Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Books

Thomson's China: Travels and Adventures of a Nineteenth-century Photographer

(Oxford University Press, 1994)

John Thomson: China and Its People

(British Council Visual Arts, 1991)

China: Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868-1872

John Thomson: A Window to the Orient

(University of New Mexico Press, 1989)

John Thomson: Life and Photographs

(Thames & Hudson, 1985)

Siam & China Through the Lens of John Thomson

(River Books, 1970)

John Thomson (1837-1921): Photographer

(The Stationery Office, 1997)

More by John Thomson

Street Life in London

John Thomson (1837-1921)

An early photography project documenting the living conditions of Victorian London’s urban poor.

Foochow and the River Min

John Thomson (1837-1921)

The Min River region’s timeless beauty and cultural transformation during China’s late Qing Dynasty.

Related Projects

Untitled, 1929-31. Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

Roll, Jordan, Roll

Doris Ulmann (1882-1934)

African American life and culture in rural South Carolina during an era of social and cultural transition.

Young Farmers, 1914. Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Image courtesy of MoMA.

People of the 20th Century

August Sander (1876-1964)

Typological photographic study documenting German societal archetypes through seven thematic groups, spanning decades and social strata.

The Village

Paul Strand (1890-1976)

Portrayal of rural Italian village life, revealing intimate details of community members in domestic and communal spaces, highlighting unromanticized realities of post-war Italy.

A Profile of France

Paul Strand (1890-1976)

Post-war French rural life, traditions, and landscapes through the lens of an American photographer and the words of a French poet.

David Young and Unknown Man, Newhaven, 1843-47

The Fishermen and Women of the Firth of Forth

David Octavius Hill (1802-1870),
Robert Adamson (1852-1902)

Early photographic record of 1840s Scottish fishing communities, presented through formal portraits and scenes of daily life, illustrating the maritime industry, self-sufficiency, and tradition.

Isle of Man

Chris Killip (1946-2020)

Traditional Manx rural community life on the Isle of Man before economic transition toward offshore finance and commercial development.