Information and discussion on all aspects of British photographic history

China Through the Lens of John Thomson

Event Details

Time: February 4, 2011 to June 12, 2011
Location: Burrell Collection
Street: 2060 Pollokshaws Rd
City/Town: Glasgow G43 1AT
Website or Map: http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk…
Phone: 0141 287 2550
Event Type: exhibition
Organized By: Burrell Collection
Latest Activity: May 17, 2011

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Event Description

John Thomson, a Scot who was born two years before the invention of the daguerreotype and the birth of photography, is considered a pioneer of photojournalism and one of the most influential photographers of his generation.

An upcoming exhibition at the Burrell Collection will demonstrate why Thomson is still so well regarded today by showcasing images he produced during his travels in China from 1868 to 1872.

At that time, foreign travel was much more arduous and rare than it is today, and photography was still in its infancy, requiring a cumbersome mass of equipment. But Thomson, with energy and perseverance, captured a wide variety of images - landscapes, architecture and people from all walks of life - that give us an extraordinary insight into the everyday life and people of 19th century China.

China Through the Lens of John Thomson is on loan from the Wellcome Library, London.

This exhibition has previously been shown in China and Liverpool but this is its first outing in Thomson’s native Scotland. Free entry.

Photo: A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 1871-72 (John Thomson)