through the Lens of John Thomson - Glasgow Life

FREE Events
Opening Events - Friday 4 February,
no need to book
Exhibition Tour
Join the Burrell’s Curator of Chinese Civilizations
for a tour of the exhibition.
11.00am– 12 noon
‘Dressing Up’ and ‘Photo Studio’
Our lively drop-in workshops are open to all;
families are very welcome.
1.00– 2.30pm
Children and Young People
Spring Zest - Workshops for Teens and Under 12s
Drop in from 2pm on the following dates;
no need to book
Under 12s: Tue 5 and Thu 7 April
Teens: Tue 12 (Head-dress making)
Wed 13 April
2
(Photography Techniques)
140 1869-1871
Photography Competition: Another Culture. A Dealer A Manchu of Curiosities, Bride, Beijing, 187172
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72 A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
Aged between 12-18? Do you have a good eye for 38 a picture? (8) 画 师 1869 Enter 1871-1872 our competition
140 15 1869-1871 1871-1872
for a chance to win £75 in vouchers and to see your A Manchu work A Chinese Bride, displayed Beijing, Portrait 187172 Artist, Hong in Kong, the 1869 Burrell!
A Junk, Guangzhou, A Dealer of Curiosities, Guangdong, Beijing, 1869–71 187172
Visit our website or phone 0141 287 2564 to find out (8) 画 师 (104) more. 1869 东 1869-1871
15 38 1871-1872 1871-1872
Closing date: 4 March 2011
A Chinese An Old Portrait Cantonese Artist, Hong Man and Kong, a Young 1869 Boy, Guangzhou,
Adults
Sound and Image in Black and White
Explore Thomson’s photographs through music in a
series of free lunchtime concerts
12.30– 1.30pm on the following Sundays,
no need to book.
27 February Travelling in Four Movements
(Kimho Ip and iMAP Musicians)
27 March Motes of Living Light
(Harmony Chinese Music Ensemble)
17 April Glasgow Improvisation
(Neil Davidson)
43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
1871–72
43 1871-1872
2 1871
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
1871–72 Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
2 53 1871-1872 1871
43 1871-1872
Thomson Ruins with of Two Bronze Manchu Temple Soldiers, in the Xiamen, Garden of Fujian, Clear 1871 Ripple,
Beijing,
A Manchu
1871–72
Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
1871–72
53 1871-1872
43 140 1869-1871 1871-1872
2 1871
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
Beijing, A 1871–72 Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
1871–72 Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
140 15 1869-1871 1871-1872
53 1871-1872
1871
A Junk, A Guangzhou, Dealer of Curiosities, Guangdong, Beijing, 1869–71 187172
Thomson Ruins with Two of Bronze Manchu Temple Soldiers, in the Xiamen, Garden Fujian, of Clear 1871 Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72
15 38 1871-1872
53 1871-1872
A Dealer
Guangdong,
of Curiosities,
186971
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
(104) 东 1869-1871
38 (8) 画 师 1869 1871-1872
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
A Manchu A Chinese Bride, Beijing, Portrait 187172 Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
(8) 画 师 (104) 1869 东 1869-1871
A Chinese An Portrait Old Cantonese Artist, Hong Man Kong, and a 1869 Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
(104) 东 1869-1871
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
ChinoiSeries: Special Curators’ Talks on popular
Chinese themes.
12.30–1.30pm on the following Thursdays,
no need to book.
31 March Chinoiserie in European Costume
and Textiles
19 May A Taste of the Orient: Experiencing
the Exotic in Glasgow’s Tea rooms
26 May Chinese Art in the Islamic Middle East
Curator’s Favourites Talks
12.30pm–1.00pm on the following Wednesdays,
no need to book:
9 February A Manchu Bride
2 March Jinshan Temple, River Min
13 April A Muslim Butcher
18 May A Dealer of Curiosities
1 June A Chinese Portrait Artist
Special Object Viewing Session - Chinese Export Fans
Join our Curators of Chinese Civilizations and European
Costume and Textiles to explore our delicate and rarely-displayed collection of fans.
Thursday 14 April 2.00–4.00pm, no need to book.
Art House Films
Come and explore China ‘through the Lens’ of some Western directors.
2.00pm on the following Wednesdays, no need to book:
13 April, 18 May, 1 June
Symposium: China through the Lenses of the Western Photographers
In partnership with Department of History of Art, University of Glasgow
Saturday 7 May 10.00am–5.00pm
For more details please visit www.glasgowlife.org.uk from March 2011.
Photography Workshops
Saturday 28 May 2.00–4.00pm: Composition
Top tips for getting the most from your digital camera.
Sat 4 June 2.00–4.00pm: Manipulating Images
How to change and manipulate a digital image.
For more details please visit www.glasgowlife.org.uk
© Culture and Sport Glasgow (Museums) 2011
All images © The Wellcome Library, London 2011
China
through the Lens of John Thomson
1868–1872
The Burrell Collection
4 February – 12 June 2011
FREE entry
For further information:
www.glasgowmuseums.com
0141 287 2550
43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
43 1871–72 1871-1872
A Manchu 2 Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant 1871 Girl, Beijing
1871–72
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
2 1871
53 1871-1872
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
The Burrell Collection
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
53 Beijing, 1871–72 1871-1872
Ruins of 140 Bronze Temple in the Garden 1869-1871 of Clear Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
140 1869-1871
15 1871-1872
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
15 1871-1872
38 1871-1872
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
Image: A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
38 1871-1872
(8) 画 师 1869
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172

43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
43 1871–72
1871-1872
Manchu 2 Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant 1871 Girl, Beijing
871–72
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
2 1871
53 1871-1872
homson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
53 Beijing, 1871–72 1871-1872
· (18371921)
140 1869-1871
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
— 1862
15 1871-1872
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
1868
38 1871-1872
18681872
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
(8) 画 师 1869
A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
uins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
eijing, 1871–72
140 1869-1871
Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
15 1871-1872
Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
38 1871-1872
Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
8) 画 师 1869
(104) 东 1869-1871
Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
104) 东 1869-1871
n Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
uangdong, 186971
China
through the Lens of John Thomson
1868–1872
This is the fiirst exhibition devoted to
the images of China taken by the
Scottish photographer John
Thomson (1837 – 1921). Born in
Edinburgh two years before the
invention of the daguerreotype and
the birth of photography, Thomson
first travelled to Asia in 1862, where
he set up a professional
photographic studio. Fascinated
by local cultures, Thomson returned
in 1868 and settled in Hong Kong.
Over the next four years he made
extensive trips to Guangdong,
Fujian, Beijing, China’s north-east
and down the great river Yangzi.
This exhibition is drawn from his
time in these regions.
These were the early days of
photography, when negatives were
made on glass before exposure.
A cumbersome mass of equipment
was required, but with perseverance
and energy, Thomson captured a
wide variety of images: landscapes,
people, architecture, and domestic
and street scenes. As a foreigner,
his ability to gain access to
photograph women was particularly
remarkable.
Thomson’s excellent work in China
established him as a serious pioneer
of photojournalism and one of the
most inffluential photographers of
his generation.
After returning to Britain, Thomson
took up an active role informing
the public about China through
illustrated lectures and publications.
In 1920, he wrote to Henry Wellcome
– pharmacist, philanthropist and
collector – offering to sell his glass
negatives. Thomson died before the
transaction could be completed, and
Wellcome bought the negatives from
Thomson’s heirs in 1921. All images in
the exhibition are from the Wellcome
Library’s collection in London.
This exhibition seeks to show the great
diversity of the photographs that
Thomson took in China. What marked
his work as special (portraits of the
rich and famous aside) was the desire
to present 43 a faithful account 1871-1872 of China
and its people. Thomson wanted
1871–72
to show his audience the human
aspects 2 of life in China through 1871 his
extensive record of everyday street
scenes – rarely captured 1871 by other
53 1871-1872
photographers of that era.
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
1871–72
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
2
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
53 Beijing, 1871–72 1871-1872
Ruins of Bronze 140 Temple in the Garden 1869-1871
of Clear Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72
Below: A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
140 1869-1871
15 1871-1872
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
15 1871-1872
38 1871-1872
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
38 1871-1872
(8) 画 师 1869
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
(8) 画 师 1869
(104) 东 1869-1871
A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
(104) Guangdong, 东 186971 1869-1871
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
43 1871–72
1871-1872
Page 2
A Manchu 2 Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant 1871 Girl, Beijing
1871–72
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
2 1871
53 1871-1872
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
53 Beijing, 1871–72 1871-1872
Add Chinese Text
Below the picture ‘A Dealer of Curiosities’
Ruins of 140 Bronze Temple in the Garden 1869-1871 of Clear Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
140 1869-1871
15 1871-1872
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
15 1871-1872
38 1871-1872
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
38 1871-1872
(8) 画 师 1869
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
(8) 画 师 1869
(104) 东 1869-1871
A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
(104) Guangdong, 东 186971 1869-1871
1920
1920
·
·
1921
1921
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
1871–72
43 1871-1872
2 1871
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Servant Girl, Beijing
1871–72 Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian, 1871
2 53 1871-1872
1871
Thomson Ruins with Two of Bronze Manchu Temple Soldiers, in the Xiamen, Garden Fujian, of Clear 1871 Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72
53 1871-1872
140 1869-1871
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear Ripple,
Beijing, 1871–72 A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
140 15 1869-1871 1871-1872
A Junk, Guangzhou, A Dealer of Curiosities, Guangdong, Beijing, 1869–71 187172
15 38 1871-1872 1871-1872
A Dealer A of Manchu Curiosities, Bride, Beijing, 187172
38 (8) 画 师 1869 1871-1872
A Manchu A Chinese Bride, Beijing, Portrait 187172 Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
(8) 画 师 (104) 1869 东 1869-1871
A Chinese An Portrait Old Cantonese Artist, Hong Man Kong, and a 1869 Young Boy, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, 186971
(104) 东 1869-1871
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou,
43 1871-1872
A Manchu Lady having her Hair dressed by Serva
43 1871–72 1871-1872
A Manchu 2 Lady having her Hair dressed by 1871 Servant G
1871–72
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fu
2 1871
53 1871-1872
Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian,
Ruins of Bronze Temple in the Garden of Clear R
53 Beijing, 1871–72 1871-1872
Ruins 140 of Bronze Temple in the 1869-1871 Garden of Clear Ripple
Beijing, 1871–72
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
140 1869-1871
15 1871-1872
A Junk, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 1869–71
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
15 1871-1872
38 1871-1872
A Dealer of Curiosities, Beijing, 187172
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
38 1871-1872
(8) 画 师 1869
A Manchu Bride, Beijing, 187172
Below: A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
(8) 画 师 1869
(104) 东 1869-1871
A Chinese Portrait Artist, Hong Kong, 1869
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guang
(104) Guangdong, 186971 东 1869-1871
An Old Cantonese Man and a Young Boy, Guangzhou
Guangdong, 186971