--- title: China in Photographs—Rare Early Images of Disappearing World description: Photographs like these, part of the largest private collection of historical photos of China, captured the Qing Dynasty in its final decades canonical: https://time.com/4684239/early-chinese-photography/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-07T14:00:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:59:01.987Z article:section: History og:title: China in Photographs—Rare Early Images of Disappearing World og:description: These pictures are part of the largest private collection of historical photos of China og:url: https://time.com/4684239/early-chinese-photography/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96d204ec1a9fd559/6988bc2e2dce01767b9ec706/170227-rare-china-02.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Rare Chinese Photography og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: China in Photographs—Rare Early Images of Disappearing World twitter:description: These pictures are part of the largest private collection of historical photos of China twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96d204ec1a9fd559/6988bc2e2dce01767b9ec706/170227-rare-china-02.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Rare Examples of Early Photography in China Captured a Disappearing World > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription.  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 7, 2017 2:00 PM UTC  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. Early photograph of nineteenth-century travelers of the Silk Road. The ancient trade route connected East and West, usually passing through Mongolia, bringing goods from as far away as the Mediterranean. The Silk Road derived its name from the lucrative silk trade from China to the West established during the Han Dynasty (207 B.C.-220 A.D.). Bactrian camels, distinguished by their double humps, are tolerant of cold temperatures, high altitudes, and drought, making them ideal for the arduous caravan journey. Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. Early photograph of nineteenth-century travelers of the Silk Road. The ancient trade route connected East and West, usually passing through Mongolia, bringing goods from as far away as the Mediterranean. The Silk Road derived its name from the lucrative silk trade from China to the West established during the Han Dynasty (207 B.C.-220 A.D.). Bactrian camels, distinguished by their double humps, are tolerant of cold temperatures, high altitudes, and drought, making them ideal for the arduous caravan journey. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 7, 2017 2:00 PM UTC When photography was [invented](http://time.com/4568032/smile-serious-old-photos/) in the mid-19th century, [France](http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/firstphotograph/) became the nation that could boast providing the landscape captured in the [first known photograph](http://100photos.time.com/photos/joseph-niepce-first-photograph-window-le-gras) — but it didn’t take too long for the medium to make its way around the world. Though photography would capture changing history, or [cause history to change](http://time.com/national-parks/), in many places, the timing of its arrival in China proved particularly interesting from a historical perspective. Travelers from the West brought the technology to Asia in the 1840s, [according](https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKdtfqoWe-cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=first+photographs+in+china&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizuPOH2sDSAhWBWCYKHRBrBKUQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=first%20photographs%20in%20china&f=false) to the Getty Research Institute’s in-depth study of the history of photography in China, and it quickly became popular. At that time, China was ruled by the Qing (or Manchu) Dynasty, the imperial dynasty that had governed the vast nation since the 17th century. Photography’s arrival in China in the 19th century occurred just at the right moment to capture a way of life that would largely disappear when the [Qing Dynasty](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qing-dynasty) fell from power in the early 20th century. Even before the coming of revolution around the end of 1911 and the subsequent abdication of the emperor, China was — like the rest of the world in the century of industrialization, but in its own special way — beginning to modernize and shed its old ways of life. However, thanks to the coming of photography, what that way of life looked like was preserved. Rare photographic images of the late Qing period, including the ones seen here, are on display in New York City through Mar. 20, as part of Asia Week New York. The [exhibition,](http://www.asiaweekny.com/dealers/19th-century-rare-book-photograph-shop) _Masterpieces of Early Chinese Photography_, presented by the 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop, showcases photographs from the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection, which the shop says is the largest private collection of historical photos of China.  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. This striking portrait shows a Chinese actress and an actor in elaborate costumes. The costumes of Chinese theatre recalled much earlier, classical clothing made of lavishly embroidered, rich silks. Those playing villains often wore grotesque masks. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. Early photograph of nineteenth-century travelers of the Silk Road. The ancient trade route connected East and West, usually passing through Mongolia, bringing goods from as far away as the Mediterranean. The Silk Road derived its name from the lucrative silk trade from China to the West established during the Han Dynasty (207 B.C.-220 A.D.). Bactrian camels, distinguished by their double humps, are tolerant of cold temperatures, high altitudes, and drought, making them ideal for the arduous caravan journey. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. The Dragon Boat race, seen here on a crowded Guangzhou waterway, was held during the Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival. The annual event, held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar, commemorates the life and death of the Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. The race is accompanied by beating drums. It is traditionally believed that the winners will have a year of luck. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. Portrait of a woman carrying a child on her back. Though Pun Lun operated a large and successful studio, most of the photographs attributed to the artist are small carte de visite portraits. This large-format masterpiece from Pun Lun’s genre series is a rare survival. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. This photograph shows a wealthy merchant’s garden and pavilion in Guangzhou. Most Chinese gardens reflect a desire to establish harmony between natural elements and man-made structures. Such gardens often offer space for solitude and contemplation while also serving as the settings for banquets and celebrations. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. One of the earliest photographs of a religious figure in Peking. In the nineteenth century, the term ‘lama’ referred to any Tibetan Buddhist monk or teacher. The lama and his pupil both hold prayer beads and bundles of sutras in their laps. Displayed on the table are bronze sculptures and sacred Tibetan ritual objects including a cup made out of a human skull and a statue of Manjusri, bodhisattva of wisdom. One of the earliest photographs of such sacred objects, this image provides a valuable record of religious practice in the late Qing Dynasty. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. Photograph shows the section of the Great Wall that includes the Nan-K’ou pass leading to Mongolia. The pass was one of the main arteries through which trade flowed between China and Mongolia. The photograph provides evidence of the Qing practice of forest removal for security as well as building materials. The Chinese government reversed that policy in modern times, and trees now surround this portion of the wall. Courtesy of the Stephan Loewentheil Historical Photography of China Collection  Caption from Stephan Lowentheil Collection. William Saunders was fascinated by traditional Chinese technologies that he believed predated similar inventions in the West. In this photograph, two men pose on a man-powered vehicle – a wheelbarrow typical of late Qing Shanghai. The driver stands at the rear. Their assertive gazes suggest a confidence before the camera that was unusual in late Qing Dynasty photographs. 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