Three shows put Chinese photography in the frame

Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily

Other highlights in the exhibition include a black-and-white image of a stone bridge of the Summer Palace, which was taken in 1900 by US photographer James Ricalton, portraits of late chairman Mao Zedong by Hou Bo, one of earliest official photographers for Mao, and the iconic places of Beijing from the 1920s to the present, such as the Forbidden City and Qianmen Rostrum.

In the China Camera exhibition, curated by renowned camera collector Shen Ming, nearly 100 vintage cameras display the development of China's camera manufacturing industry, which dates back to its heyday in the mid-1950s.

Many vintage cameras are exhibited for the first time to the public, including the first wooden camera made in China, the first mechanical camera made in China and the camera used by Mao Zedong.

The first manuscript about China's photography theory is displayed in the section of Historical Documents of Chinese Photography. The exhibits also feature a section on 3-D printing.

According to Wang Yao, chairman of the China Photography Association, the China Photography Exhibition Center will also cooperate with other provinces in China and other countries to hold joint photo exhibitions and open up more photography-themed halls.