Who took the earliest photos of China?

Photography was invented in 1839. In the third year after the invention of photography, that is, 1842, a French customs official set off from France by boat and arrived in Asia and China the following year. He took a batch of Daguerre metal photos about China with very heavy photographic equipment (Figure 1 2) and chemicals (Figure 3). The first person who took pictures on the land of China in history was a Frenchman Edil (1802- 1877). Since then, the history of photography has been opened in the land of the East.

1, Daguerre camera, very rare three-box telescopic focusing. Compared with the common two-piece suit, it is smaller after contraction. Photo by WU GANG

The copper lens on this drawer camera has a toothed track focusing device. Photo by WU GANG

3. The chemicals used in Daguerre photography that have been preserved to this day. Photo by WU GANG

1843, Idylle, head of the French customs mission, arrived at the Guangdong coast of China. Among his luggage, there are several huge wooden boxes filled with the newly invented photographic equipment of Daguerre method. During his travel and work in China, Idylle took many photos of metal plates, which is the earliest photographic work ever to reflect the theme of China.

Edil's photography activities in China aroused great interest of local people, and this was the first time they saw this magical machine. Put a metal mirror similar to China bronze mirror in a wooden box.