米勒个人肖像


      
名称: An Official’s Wifet/官员夫人
类别: Albumen Print/蛋清照片 
日期: 1880
尺寸: 20x25cm 


Milton M. Miller (1830-1899) was one of the foremost portrait photographers of the 19th century. Born on April 5, 1830, in Windham County, Vermont, in southeastern Vermont, he left home in 1846 to work in the jewelry business in Massachusetts and later moved to Saratoga Springs, New York, where he studied photography. In 1856, Miller traveled to San Francisco with a fellow Vermonter, making a living using the daguerreotype process.

弥尔顿·米勒（Milton M. Miller，1830-1899）是19世纪最杰出的肖像摄影师之一。1830年4月5日，他出生于美国佛蒙特州东南部的温德姆县。1846年，米勒离家前往马萨诸塞州从事珠宝生意，随后迁至纽约萨拉托加温泉，在那里学习摄影技术。1856年，米勒与一位同乡前往旧金山，以达盖尔银版摄影技术谋生。米勒曾在查尔斯·韦德（Charles Wade）经营的照相馆工作，韦德是摄影史上最杰出的风景摄影师之一。韦德前往中国时，邀请米勒前往协助。1861年9月，韦德返回加利福尼亚，广州的照相馆交由米勒管理。

Miller worked as a photographer in a studio owned by Charles Wade, one of the most distinguished landscape photographers in photographic history. When Wade moved to China, he invited Miller to assist him. In September 1861, Wade returned to California, leaving the Guangzhou studio under Miller’s management. During his time in China, Miller’s exceptional talent as a portrait photographer became fully evident. He had an extraordinary ability to put his subjects at ease, creating a natural rapport that is clearly reflected in his portraits. His images capture not only the likeness but also the character and dignity of his subjects, offering rare insight into 19th-century Chinese society.

Miller’s photographs are valued both for their technical mastery and their historical significance. He skillfully utilized early photographic techniques, including daguerreotype and wet-plate processes, achieving remarkable composition, lighting, and detail for his era. Today, his works are preserved in major collections worldwide, including the George Eastman Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Getty Museum, recognized for their artistic excellence and historical importance. Miller’s portraits remain a testament to the cultural and artistic exchange between East and West during the mid-19th century, exemplifying the unique power of early photography to document, humanize, and preserve history.  

在中国期间，米勒作为肖像摄影师的卓越天赋得以充分展现。他能令拍摄对象感到放松，与顾客之间形成自然的共鸣，这种默契在他的肖像作品中得到了完美体现。米勒的作品不仅捕捉了人物的外貌，更展现了其性格与尊严，为研究19世纪中国社会提供了珍贵视觉资料。米勒的摄影作品以卓越的技艺和重要的历史价值著称。他熟练运用早期摄影技术，包括达盖尔银版和湿版工艺，在构图、光影及细节表现上达到当时极高水平。今天，米勒的作品被全球重要博物馆收藏，包括乔治·伊斯特曼博物馆（George Eastman Museum）、大都会艺术博物馆（Metropolitan Museum of Art）及盖蒂博物馆（Getty Museum），其艺术成就和历史价值备受认可。米勒的肖像作品不仅见证了中西文化交流，也彰显了早期摄影在人文记录与历史保存中的独特力量。 >>返回>>