Thomas Child (1841–1898) was born in Madeley (Shropshire, England). In 1870, he moved with his wife and children to Beijing, where he worked until 1889 as a gas engineer for the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs.
Child was not a professional but a keen amateur photographer. Disinclined to document local life, he dedicated most of his attention to traditional architecture and monuments. His peregrinations through Beijing and its surroundings led him to northern sites such as the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan), the Great Wall and the Ming tombs.
Albeit being an amateur photographer, his photographs were sold commercially and found their way into private albums and publications well into the twentieth century. Their wide diffusion gradually shaped China’s image in foreign eyes.
These amazing photos were taken by Thomas Child that show life of China (mostly Beijing) in the 1870s.
An audience with the Tongzhi Emperor, in Tse Kuang Ko, Beijing, June 29, 1873
Bronze armillary, Beijing Observatory, 1875
Gate tower of Qianmen and city walls, Beijing, 1875
Observatory, Beijing, circa 1875
Northern moat of the Forbidden City, Dagaoxuan Hall or Temple (大高玄殿) and Coal Hill, Beijing, 1876
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