名称: Li Hongzhang/李鸿章
类别: Albumen photo/蛋白照片
日期: 1870
尺寸: 20x26cm


J. R. Black/John Reddie Black (1826-1880) was the founder of The Far East, one of the most important publications for the study of Asian photography. Born in Fife, Scotland, to British parents, Black’s early life remains largely undocumented. In 1854, he gave up a potential naval career and moved with his wife to Australia. After a failed business venture, he traveled across India, Australia, China, and Japan pursuing a career as a singer, performing in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Yokohama in 1864 to enthusiastic media reviews. Although he initially did not intend to remain in Japan, he eventually lived there for eleven years. Black held multiple roles throughout his career, including publisher, journalist, writer, photographer, and singer, spending most of his professional life in China and Japan.

约翰·莱蒂·布莱克（John Reddie Black，1826-1880）是亚洲摄影史研究中最重要的刊物《远东》杂志的创办人。布莱克出生于苏格兰法夫，父母为英国人，早年生活鲜为人知。1854年，他放弃在皇家海军晋升军官的机会，与妻子移居澳大利亚。创业失败后，他辗转印度、澳大利亚、中国和日本开展歌唱事业，并于1864年在香港、上海和横滨演出，获得当地媒体好评。尽管无意长期居留日本，他最终在该国停留了十一年。布莱克身兼出版商、新闻工作者、作家、摄影师和歌手等多重身份，其大部分职业生涯在中国与日本度过。

In 1864, Albert Hansard supported Black’s auction business in Hong Kong, and the following year he co-founded a partnership at the Japan Herald. After the firm declared bankruptcy in 1867, Black established his own daily newspaper, the Japan Gazette, reporting on the reforms of the newly formed Meiji government. In 1870, he founded The Far East magazine, covering Japanese history, art, customs, and manners, and expanded to Shanghai in 1874. The Far East was the first publication to incorporate original albumen photographs directly in the printing process, replacing traditional engraved illustrations. The magazine featured landscapes and local customs in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Chongqing, as well as portraits of prominent historical figures such as Li Hongzhang, Lu Yu, and Xu Runzhi. It also documented key photographic work by Western photographers active in China during the 1870s, including William Saunders, Lorenzo F. Fisler, and Black himself.

Original albumen prints from The Far East are exceedingly rare and invaluable for research on early Chinese photography. Surviving copies are held in major institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the National Museum of Modern Art (Tokyo), and the National Library of China, where they are regarded as museum- and national-level treasures with exceptional historical and market value. John Reddie Black died on June 11, 1880, aged 52, and was buried in the Foreigners’ Cemetery in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

1864年，布莱克在香港得到阿尔伯特·汉萨德的拍卖业务支持，并于次年在《日本先驱报》建立合伙企业。1867年合伙企业破产后，他创立《日本公报》，报道明治政府改革。1870年，他创办《远东》杂志，涵盖日本历史、艺术、习俗及风土人情，并于1874年拓展到中国上海。《远东》首次在印刷过程中采用原版蛋白照片，取代传统版画插图，是中国图书出版史和图像传播史上从插图向照片转型的重要实例。杂志内容包括上海、香港、重庆等地风光与民俗，以及李鸿章、禄裕、徐润芝等历史人物肖像，同时记录19世纪70年代在华西方摄影师如威廉·桑德斯、洛伦佐·费斯勒及布莱克本人拍摄的重要作品。

《远东》杂志的原版蛋白照片保存至今极为珍贵，被视为中国早期摄影史的实物证据，具有极高的研究与收藏价值。现存藏品多见于伦敦维多利亚与阿尔伯特博物馆、纽约大都会艺术博物馆、东京国立近代美术馆及中国国家图书馆，为博物馆级及国家级珍贵藏品，其历史和市场价值均极高。布莱克于1880年6月11日去世，享年52岁，安葬于日本神奈川县横滨市外国人公墓。 >>返回>>