?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 40,000 - $ 60,000
JOHN THOMSON (1837-1921) A spectacular album with 67 photographs credited to the pioneering photographer, including more than 30 depicting China, as well as images from Singapore and Borneo. The album features approximately 34 rich views made in China, including Thomson's iconic imagery of Hong Kong's harbor (with numerous views of the Praya) and streets (including his interior Shop of Wah Loong and Cumwo), at least two from Canton (including family groupings outside their dwellings), as well as unidentified temples, rural scenery, and architectural studies, each with Thomson's characteristic sensitivity and sophisticated eye. Also with more than 30 photographs of South Asia, including credited imagery made in Singapore and Borneo, and possibly India. Albumen prints, the images measuring 9 1/4x11 inches (23.5x28 cm.), and smaller, and the reverse, mounted recto/verso, eight with Thomson's credit in the negative and each with one or two numeric notations, in pencil, on the mounts. Thick folio, lacking the covers, but with the original endpapers; all edges gilt; enclosed in a custom navy blue clamshell box with a leather label. Circa 1862-72
Acquired from Bradford Galleries, Sheffield, Massachusetts; to a Private Collector, in 1999, who was a photojournalist during his years in medical school.
A full plate list is available upon request. Published and credited plates include (image numbers reference the additional images available at the link below):
Image 15: harbor scene, credit in the negative Image 21: Group of Boyamese, Singapore, published John Thomson, A Window to the Orient, pl. 13 Image 28: "Travellers" Palm, Singapore, published John Thomson, A Window to the Orient, pl. 5 Image 35: Hong Kong, the Praya, published China and its People, Volume I, pl. VI Image 37: Hong Kong sedan chair (detail), credit in the negative, published China and its People, Volume I, pl. IV Image 39: Hong Kong clock tower (variant), credit in the negative, published China and its People, Volume I, pl. V Image 40: View of New Harbour, Singapore, credit in the negative, published John Thomson, A Window to the Orient, pl. 14 Image 41: Shop of Wah Loong and Cumwo, Hong Kong, widely published, including Imperial China, p. 103 Image 45: church, credit in the negative Image 50: family group outside wooden structures, published variant, John Thomson, A Window to the Orient, pl. 75 Image 57: Figure posed on steps with village beyond, published Imperial China, p. 54 Image 59: Children Playing in Stream, Singapore, published John Thomson, A Window to the Orient, pl. 16 Image 60: Old Junks, credit in the negative, published China and its People, Volume II, pl. XIX Image 63: The Old Factory Site, Canton, published China and its People, Volume I, pl. XVI Image 64: Town scene, published Imperial China, p. 102 Image 66: rural scene, two figures, credit in the negative Image 67: Suburban residents, Canton, credit in the negative, published John Thomson, A Window to the Orient, pl. 76
Sources include: Thomson, Illustrations of China and its People (Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1873); White, John Thomson, A Window to the Orient (Thomas and Hudson); and Salisbury, Worswick, and Spence, Imperial China, Photographs 1850-1912 (Pennwick/Crown).
