China: Through the Lens of John Thomson (1868-1872)

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Scottish photographer and travel writer John Thomson took four journeys across China, photographing scenes and people from all walks of life?ministers, high officials, wealthy traders, street vendors, brides, boat women, monks, and soldiers?and providing a lasting record of nineteenth-century China’s landscapes, architecture, communities, and customs. This exhibition presents a stunning selection of Thomson’s photographs displayed alongside contemporaneous pieces from The Textile Museum’s collection of Qing-Dynasty textiles and accessories.