Old photos: portraits and life scenes of the late Qing Dynasty. Did women take care of children and do laundry?

1870-1890, the scene of photography in Shanghai. The old photos selected in this article are the works of British William Sanders. Sanders came to China as an engineer in 1860, had photography activities in Tianjin in 1861, and opened a photography studio in Shanghai in 1862. He is a very successful commercial photographer who specializes in portraits, but also shoots scenes of daily life, architecture, landscapes and more. In 1871, he published "Sketches of Chinese Life and Character" to introduce information about Chinese characters and life to the West. ?

A street food stall, circa 1870. Most of the photos taken by Sanders were staged. On the one hand, because the photography technology was immature at the time, it was difficult to capture a photo. On the other hand, staged photography made it easier to get the scene he wanted and convey his subjective views. know.

Circa 1870, man holding an umbrella and wearing a raincoat. The ground is covered with straw, and the previous photo should have been taken in the same scene.

Image of a poor man, circa 1870. The man was holding a broken umbrella and a basket full of things. He should be a vendor walking through the streets doing small business. His clothes are shabby and shabby, and his feet are bare, creating a picture of a low-level character struggling for survival. If it is disseminated in the West, it will leave a negative impression on people.

In 1870-1880, a little girl just started binding feet. In the late Qing Dynasty, the old custom of foot binding continued. Girls began to bind their feet with strips of cloth when they were 5 or 6 years old. The strips could not be untied until their adult bones were established, which brought great physical and mental pain to women. Sanders took this photo out of curiosity. Fortunately, during the late Qing Dynasty, more and more people realized the disadvantages of foot binding and launched the "Tianzu Movement", which gradually disappeared after the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

1862-1872, a family of five. This is a scene of real family life. The hostess is carrying the child while doing laundry. She should also be taking care of the other two children. The male host was smoking a dry cigarette and looked relatively leisurely. The photos reveal the traditional division of labor in the family, with women taking on all the housework and men responsible for earning money and supporting the family.