View of Swatow Harbour 1869

John Thomson created this print, *View of Swatow Harbour*, using wet collodion process around the 1870s. Thomson was among the first photographers to document China extensively, during a time when the nation was experiencing considerable internal and external pressures. Here we see the architecture and landscape, photographed with a clear colonial gaze. The very act of framing this harbor and its surroundings becomes a statement of power and control. The Western architectural style of the building contrasts sharply with the Chinese landscape, suggesting the imposition of foreign culture. Note the ships lined up in the harbor, symbols of trade, but also potential instruments of military might. What stories are not being told here? Whose perspectives are missing? I wonder about the lives of the local people, their experiences, and how they navigated this changing world. This image then is not just a view but an active participant in the history it depicts.