
PHOTO100 is an art foundation dedicated to the collection, research, and dissemination of early visual materials related to China. Its holdings span more than three centuries, from the 16th century to the early 20th century (ca. 1600-1920), encompassing European engravings, original photographic works related to China, as well as representative creations by modern masters of world photography. This system of collections not only highlights China’s distinctive place in global visual history but also provides invaluable primary documents and material evidence for cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural research.
The foundation’s collections are diverse and systematic in origin. They include private holdings of foundation members, such as the rare collections of the Kodak shareholder George family and Winfield Robbins, alongside important materials from leading image institutions and renowned collectors in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond. The scope of these holdings is both extensive and representative, covering works of artistic and historical significance as well as research-oriented documentary materials. Owing to their rarity and academic value, these archives have become essential resources in the fields of history, art history, anthropology, and visual culture, offering a solid foundation and unique perspectives for scholarly inquiry.
As a platform for digitization and scholarly sharing, this website carefully selects and presents portions of the collection with the aim of providing researchers and the public alike with direct access to research materials and interpretive frameworks. Given the age of many works, gaps remain regarding authorship, creation contexts, and historical settings. Although the foundation has endeavored to investigate and interpret these materials, further supplementation and revision are still needed. We sincerely welcome contributions from the academic community and the public, inviting new research findings and authoritative sources to collectively enrich this visual archive, so that it may continue to evolve as a shared cultural heritage and scholarly resource for all.
百年影像(PHOTO100)是一家以典藏、研究与传播中国早期视觉史料为核心使命的艺术基金。其收藏体系跨越自16世纪至20世纪初(约1600-1920年)逾三百年的历史时段,涵盖与中国相关的欧洲经典版画、原版摄影作品,以及近代世界摄影大师的代表性创作。这一体系不仅彰显了中国在全球视觉史中的独特地位,也为跨学科与跨文化研究提供了宝贵的原始文献与实物依据。
基金的收藏来源多元且系统,既包括基金成员的私人典藏,如柯达股东乔治家族与温菲尔德·罗宾斯的珍稀收藏,也汇聚了来自加拿大、法国、英国、美国等地的重要影像机构及知名收藏家的资料。整体藏品规模宏大,类型丰富,既有艺术史与影像史的经典之作,也有研究价值极高的文献资料。凭借其稀缺性与学术意义,这批档案性图像已成为历史学、艺术史、人类学及视觉文化等领域的重要基础资源,为学术研究与文化阐释提供了坚实支撑与独特视角。
作为数字化与学术共享的平台,本网站精选并展示部分藏品,旨在为研究者与公众提供直观的研究资料与参考框架。鉴于部分作品年代久远,其作者身份、创作背景及历史语境仍存在空缺。尽管基金已尽力开展考证与释读,但仍有待进一步补充与修订。我们诚挚欢迎学术界与社会各界贡献新的研究成果与权威资料,共同完善这一影像档案,使其不断发展,成为全社会共享的文化遗产与学术资源库。