名称: Pagoda /古塔
类别: Albumen Print/蛋清照片 
日期: 1870s-1880s
尺寸: 20x26cm 



名称：Great Wall of China/八达岭长城
类别: Albumen Print/蛋清照片 
日期: 1870s-1880s
尺寸: 20x26cm 


Thomas Child (1841-1898) was a distinguished British photographer, born into a family of architects in England. In 1869, he began his work as an amateur photographer, and in May 1870, he was appointed by the British Customs to design the gas system for Beijing’s military districts. In 1874, his wife and three children joined him in Beijing. Living in China for over two decades, Child became fluent in Chinese and developed a deep passion for photography. During his stay in Beijing, he captured approximately 200 photographs, which not only documented the cityscape and daily life of late Qing Beijing but also serve as invaluable visual records for historical research.

托马斯·查尔德（Thomas Child，1841-1898）是英国著名摄影师，生于英格兰建筑世家。1869年，他以业余摄影师身份开始创作，1870年受英国海关总署委任，负责设计北京地区军事管辖区的煤气系统。1874年，其妻子与三个孩子随他定居北京。查尔德在中国生活二十余年，精通中文，并对摄影产生浓厚兴趣。在北京期间，他拍摄了约二百余张照片，这些作品不仅记录了晚清北京的城市风貌和生活场景，更成为研究老北京历史的重要视觉资料。

Child mastered early photographic techniques, employing the wet-plate glass process. His works demonstrated exceptional composition, use of light, and high-quality albumen printing, reaching the highest standards of the time. Particularly rare is that nearly all his photographs bear his personal signature—a distinction uncommon among 19th-century photographers. He was the first professionally trained photographer to document the ruins of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) and produced a large body of work depicting Beijing’s architecture and surrounding landscapes, making his photographs both artistically and historically significant.

In recent years, Child’s works, especially his Yuanmingyuan series, have fetched high prices in China’s art auctions, highly sought after by collectors. His photographs are preserved in major museum collections worldwide, including the British Museum, the George Eastman Museum, and the Freer Gallery of Art at Harvard University, reflecting both the development of photographic art and the cultural history of late Qing China. Child’s works not only showcase exceptional technical mastery but also carry invaluable historical memory, making them indispensable for study, exhibition, and collection.

查尔德掌握早期摄影技术，采用玻璃湿版工艺创作，其作品在构图、光影运用及蛋白照片印制水平上均达到当时顶尖水平。尤其难得的是，他的照片几乎全部带有亲笔签名，这在19世纪摄影师中极为罕见。他是首位在圆明园遗址进行专业摄影创作的摄影师，同时留下大量北京及周边建筑、风景的珍贵影像，极具艺术与历史价值。

近两年来，查尔德的作品在中国艺术品拍卖市场屡获高价，尤其是圆明园系列照片，备受收藏家追捧。其作品现被世界多家知名博物馆收藏，包括大英博物馆（British Museum）、乔治·伊斯特曼博物馆（George Eastman Museum）以及哈佛大学福里尔美术馆（Freer Gallery of Art, Harvard University），在展示摄影艺术发展历程与晚清历史文化方面具有重要意义。查尔德的作品不仅体现了卓越的摄影技艺，更承载着珍贵的历史记忆，是研究、收藏和展览的无价之宝。 >>返回>>