This article publishes a set of old photographs of late Qing dynasty figures. These images show the image of people from all walks of life, from the court to the common people, from the world-renowned dwarf actors to the unknown female musicians, from the rich and noble families to the carpenters who work hard to make a living... Let's take a look.
Two women pose for a group photo.
The decorations of the two women are exactly the same, both in the style of Hakka women along the southeast coast. In fact, the one on the left is Chinese, and the one on the right is a foreigner, and she wears Chinese clothes, making it almost impossible to see her true identity. This photograph is extremely rare in portraits of women in the late Qing Dynasty.
Seated portrait of a young woman.
The woman in the photo is luxuriously dressed and intricately decorated, slightly revealing a three-inch golden lotus. When taking pictures, the environment is carefully designed, and props such as daffodils, spittoons, hookahs, teacups, books and other props are placed, and the details are very rich.
Seated portrait of two women in Shanghai.
Two women with good faces sat in a carefully decorated photo studio to take pictures. In order to cater to the aesthetics of the time, they all showed the "three-inch golden lotus".
Family photo.
The characters in the picture are richly dressed and elegant, sitting in front of the Western oil painting set. Have you found a detail, the face of the character is particularly delicate, especially the two elders sitting in the middle, there is no wrinkle on the face. When the photo was printed in the later stage, a wrinkle removal treatment was done. This kind of retouching is more common in portraits of late Qing dynasty figures, when it was a means of "beautifying" more than a hundred years ago.
Tongwenguan students Feng Yi and Yan Hui.
In 1866, the Qing court sent a delegation led by Bin Chun to Travel and Investigate Europe, accompanied by Students Feng Yi and Yan Hui of the Wenguan. Before leaving, Empress Dowager Cixi rewarded Bin Chun with three pin titles (originally seven pins), Fengyi six pins to wear, and Yan Hui to wear seven pins. The photo of Feng Yi and Yan Hui was taken in France, when they were about 20 years old.
Dharma Shangshu Guarjia Tingjie.
In 1906, the Qing Court Punishment Department was reorganized into the Law Department, and Dai Hongci was appointed as the first Shangshu, and the official rank was Zheng Yipin. In 1909, Dai Hongci was transferred to the post of Minister of Military Aircraft, and Tingjie took over the post of Shangshu until his death in early 1911. In the photo, Tingjie has a white beard and wears a fur robe, showing luxury.
Chema who performed in Europe.
Born in 1838 in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, Che Mah was about 85 centimeters tall, and was recruited by the Balnam Berry Circus in 1881 to participate in the tour, becoming a world-renowned dwarf actor. He is dedicated, polite, wise, self-reliant, optimistic, and has been welcomed by people everywhere.
Musicians.
The female musicians held instruments in their hands and played the pieces seriously. Their hairline is very high, deliberately exposing their foreheads, I don't know which hairstyle style they belong to? Please pay attention to the woman on the left, do you think she is particularly like Shao Yuxuan in today's Internet celebrity "Crazy Sisters"?
Newlyweds.
The bride is crowned with a phoenix, and the groom wears official clothes and crosses the red cloth obliquely, revealing a strong atmosphere of new wedding celebration. It may be that he is not used to facing the camera, and his expression is slightly restrained and nervous. In the late Qing Dynasty, it was rare to be able to leave a "wedding photo".
A carpenter at work.
Of all the photos selected in this article, only this one was taken outdoors, but it was also posed. If it is a labor site, why is there not even a little wood chips and shavings? Still, their expressions and movements are more vivid in comparison.