Arnold Genthe’s Pictures of Old Chinatown offers a rare glimpse into the life and cultural essence of San Francisco’s Chinatown from 1895 to the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. This body of work, created by the German-born Genthe, who immigrated to the United States as a tutor, bridges the divide between art and historical documentation. Genthe, initially unfamiliar with photography, adopted the medium after being captivated by the vibrant street life of Chinatown, a neighborhood known to its residents as Tangrenbu, or “port of the people of Tang.”
Genthe’s work emerges against a backdrop of xenophobia and exclusionary laws, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which curtailed Chinese immigration and denied the formation of families within the Chinese American community. Despite this, Chinatown flourished as a cultural enclave, demonstrating resilience through its thriving community organizations, vibrant street markets, and cultural celebrations such as the Chinese New Year festival, which became a cornerstone of neighborhood identity. These dynamics showcased a complex interplay between traditional practices and adaptation to an often-hostile urban environment.
Artistically, Pictures of Old Chinatown exemplifies the principles of pictorialism, a movement emphasizing the photographer's creative role and expression. Genthe’s adherence to these principles is evident in his manipulation of images, such as cropping out Western elements like English signage or non-Chinese individuals to enhance the perceived authenticity of his Chinatown scenes. Genthe’s romanticized lens, however, often obscured the realities, prioritizing the “exotic” and “mystical” aspects of the neighborhood over its integrative role within the broader urban fabric of San Francisco.
Technically, Genthe employed a small handheld camera, a relatively novel innovation at the time, allowing him to move discreetly through the streets of Chinatown and capture candid scenes with immediacy and fluidity. This mobility enabled him to photograph subjects in natural, unposed moments, although the slower camera speeds required careful timing and occasionally resulted in blurred or imperfect images, adding to the spontaneity of the compositions.
Circulation began with the photobook Pictures of Old Chinatown (1908)—a published selection of Genthe’s Chinatown photographs with accompanying text by writer Will Irwin—followed by an enlarged edition, Old Chinatown: A Book of Pictures (1913). After the 1906 earthquake destroyed the neighborhood, these images became a primary visual record. Subsequent exposure—from early California Camera Club showings to later museum surveys, and placement in major collections such as the Library of Congress and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco—has sustained visibility while prompting reassessment of Genthe’s pictorialist cropping, retouching, and staged "authenticity."
