Photographs of Chinese Women 150 Years Ago

Original photos of Chinese women about 150 years ago are featured in the exhibition "Beauties of that time".

According to The Paper , "Red Faces of the Past: A Collection of 19th Century Chinese Women" exhibition was held at the Yiyuxi Art Museum in Beijing from March to June. The people in the photos were the first group of Chinese women to be photographed. The collection includes a photo of four girls playing musical instruments in the 1870s.

Workers kneading and sifting tea leaves, photo taken in the 1870s, 27 cm wide. A total of 60 photos were exhibited, all original. Photographer Ly Han, one of the event organizers, said that over the past 20 years, she and her colleagues have collected photos from many cities around the world, then researched their origins and selected 60 photos to present to the audience. The museum and photographers hope that through the event, the audience will understand more about the appearance, clothing, and work of women in the 19th century.

A photo of a Fujian woman in the tea business, at the World's Fair held in Paris in 1867. This is the earliest known photo of women in the tea industry and the Chinese tea business.

Portrait of a girl taken by British photographer William Saunders. Between 1863 and 1888, William Saunders ran a photography studio in Shanghai, recording many stories about current events and culture.

Photo of a girl holding a paper fan, taken around 1880.

Portrait of a noblewoman, taken in the 1880s. She wears a royal necklace - the type of necklace reserved for emperors, concubines, and officials of the fourth rank and above in the Qing Dynasty.

The subjects in the photo are from different classes, from commoners to noblewomen. The "Small-footed Woman" was created in the 1880s, the background fabric and the room decoration are in the Western style of photo studios at that time.

Two Fujian women in traditional costumes, taken by German photographer F. Schoenke. According to surviving documents, F. Schoenke was the first person to open a photography studio in Fujian.

The photo of three women enjoying tea, taken in the 1890s. They are well-dressed, the decoration of the house, and the tea utensils show that they are members of a wealthy family. The photographers found documents that the photo was taken in Guangdong, and they are the three wives of a court official.