Thomson photos offer a glimpse of 19th century China

This coming weekend is the last chance to visit Collotype Recurrence, a photo exhibition at the Macao Museum that offers a glimpse of Chinese society in the late 19th century through the lens of British photographer John Thomson (1837-1921).

One of the earliest British photographers traveling to East Asia, Thomson connected viewers of his photos with different cultures and the underprivileged through his calm and sensitive observations.

The more than 200 photos on show come from Thomson's photography collection Illustrations of China and Its People, which was published in London between 1873 and 1874. The images reflect the lives of Chinese people in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macao from 1868 to 1871. Also on display are some woodcut prints based on Thomson's photos.

The exhibition runs through Aug 31.

Thomson Cheefoo Bridge, Collotype, Photos provided to China Daily