Poignant 'selfies' from a stranger

A precious relic from tumultuous times

Ye's collection of portraits have been deemed remarkable because most Chinese were not able to afford to have photos of themselves taken during the early 20th century as China was gripped by a series of wars. Furthermore, the tradition in some regions in China is to burn or discard the possessions of those who have died.

Tong, who majored in journalism in university and works as a television producer, said that he has never seen a photo of his grandfather while his parents only had a few images of themselves.

The 48-year-old's interest in old photos started in 2000 when he was looking for paintings to decorate his apartment in Beijing.

After discovering that most of the paintings available at the art market were of low quality, he visited the Panjiayuan Antique Market in Beijing where he was enthralled with an old photo of a village in Shanxi province that was set in a rosewood frame. Tong immediately bought the photo and had it hung on a wall in his home.

"To me, an old photo is a moment in history which tells stories and it produces a special charm. It's more significant than hanging replica paintings on the wall," said Tong.

"It's so easy for everyone to have his own photo collection. You can even create one using images shot on mobile phones. But I still suggest that people should, like Ye, dress formally and have their portraits taken by a professional photo studio, because browsing these photos that are printed on exquisite paper will help you to reflect and calm down."

Following that incident, Tong would walk around antique markets in Beijing every weekend in search of old photos. He would also be on the constant lookout for such images whenever he was abroad. At the beginning, Tong's family could not understand why he would spend money on portraits of unknown people, most of whom were already dead.

To Tong, however, researching the background of these people in the photos is one of the most interesting parts of his hobby.

"Who is he? Where is he? Why did he take this photo and what happened to him? Some answers are written under the photos but there is so much more to look for," said Tong.

One of Tong's most treasured photos is a portrait of a young woman that was taken in 1870 in Su San Xing, a famous photo studio in Shanghai. In the photo, the woman is dressed in a puffy Chinese costume and has jewelry pinned to her hair. A bottle of flowers, arranged in Western style, could also be seen behind her.

Following the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China was forced to open some of its port cities such as Shanghai to Western countries and this was when foreign lifestyles and culture starting seeping into the city.

When photography first appeared in China in 1844, Chinese thought of it as an evil being that could harm the soul. When people eventually became more open to photography, they nevertheless adhered to traditional Chinese aesthetic standards - anything that was not a full-body portrait was considered inauspicious as they were likened to decapitation. Shadows on the face were also not welcomed.

Photography was later popularized by the royal family and the affluent, and this inspired more Chinese, especially those in Shanghai, to embrace the Western invention. In 1861, the first modern photo studio was opened in Shanghai and it was not long after that other studios filled with props such as clocks, sofas and pianos starting appearing.

Starting from the 1920s, the photography scene in Shanghai started to thrive thanks to the booming celebrity culture that had influenced many to dress, pose and be pictured like their favorite stars.

"At that time, Shanghai was considered the benchmark of the country's aesthetic standards which photography helped to depict. Be it the volume of old photos or the quality of them, Shanghai tops the country," said Tong, who added that about one third of the photos in his collection are from Shanghai.

Buying photos online

According to Tong, the advent of the Internet had brought about "an earthshaking change" in the way he expanded his collection as the digital realm allowed him to procure many old photos that he would have otherwise never come across. He also uses the Internet as a means of gathering more information about his photos.

"I always post single photos without any information online and sometimes people will contact me to say that they know the person in the photo. The most interesting part of this collection, to me, is about sharing. Through communicating with others, I can have a deeper understanding of these photos," said Tong.

The price of old Chinese photos has been on the rise in international auctions. The bidding price of a photo taken during the late Qing Dynasty started at $280 in an online auction that Tong had participated in and eventually closed at $800. Tong said that the popularity and demand of Chinese art is quickly rising today and a photo from China that was taken in the same era and of the same quality as one from other countries could be worth as much as 10 times more. In a Guardian auction in 2003, an old photo of The Bund in Shanghai was purchased at 140,000 yuan ($20,280).

While some people may see money-making potential in Tong's passion, he is insistent that his photo collection is not about profits. He is currently in discussions with several institutions and governmental departments to set up a museum to showcase China's history in photography. The facility will also include his photo collection as well as research findings of the nation's photo studios during the past 16 years.

"The process of collecting is a long-term affair. It is only after you have gathered a certain volume that you begin to understand the objects, and by understanding them you achieve so much more than just money," said Tong.

xuxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn