Fille de Shanghai 1870s

Editor: So, here we have Raimund von Stillfried’s "Fille de Shanghai" from the 1870s, a gelatin silver print. The woman’s gaze is arresting, but the faded tones and the delicate patterns of her robe really draw me in. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: I see a confluence of colonial enterprise and photographic technique. The material reality of the photograph—the gelatin silver print—is the direct result of the global circulation of resources and technologies in the late 19th century. How was this woman’s image captured and then disseminated, both in terms of material and access? Editor: That’s a fascinating point. So, you’re saying the photograph itself is evidence of trade and... exploitation? Curator: Precisely. Consider the photographer, Stillfried, who set up shop in Yokohama, catering to European tastes. The "Fille de Shanghai" becomes a commodity, consumed by a Western audience eager for exoticized images of the East. Do you notice any subtle signs that she’s been stylized and presented in this way? Editor: Yes, her pose seems very formal, almost staged. It feels like a performance of otherness. Also, is that hand-tinting to make her skin appear more delicate? Curator: Possibly, adding another layer to the mediation between the subject and the viewer. Think about the labor involved – from the mining of silver for the print to the artist's studio practices to create this romantic vision of “Shanghai.” What does this mean about representation, truth and artistry? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about the photograph as a product of so much labour. I learned a lot, especially about the manufacturing process of the photograph and its colonial context. Thank you. Curator: The implications of the supply chain on what we see – and how it gets represented – are essential considerations for engaging with historical imagery, especially. It reveals a different facet to this photograph.