Portrait of a Family, 1859, Giacomo Caneva (Italian, 1813–1865), salted paper print. The Getty Research Institute, partial gift of The Kelton Foundation, 2007.R.10.3.
Essential China
Considering itself the Middle Kingdom—the center of the world (中國)—China existed for centuries as an independent and self-sustaining empire. When Europeans brought the camera to Asia in the early 1840s, it was taken up by Chinese artists who, alongside Western photographers, recorded centuries-old traditions within an empire undergoing dramatic cultural shifts. Photography served both as a witness to these changes and as a catalyst to further modernization.
A Palace Eunuch, Beijing, 1870s–80s, Liang Shitai (also known as See Tay) (Chinese, active in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing, 1870s–80s), albumen silver print. The Getty Research Institute, 2009.R.5.1
Banner image: Collage of Many Photographs, late 1800s, unknown photographer, albumen silver print. The Getty Research Institute, 2006.R.17.2