Yuen Fu Rapids, John Thomson, carbon print, From Foochow and the River Min, c.1870

Sun and Silver: Early Photographs of China by Lai Fong and John Thomson
March 13 – 21, 2025
Opening Reception: Tuesday, March 18 from 6-8pm
Exhibiting at: 10 West 18th Street, 7th Floor
Asia Week Hours: By appointment from March 13-14 & 18-21, 10am-5pm; March 15, 11am-5pm

Loewentheil Photography of China Collection is thrilled to present Sun and Silver: Early Photographs of China by Lai Fong and John Thomson during this season’s Asia Week New York. This exhibition brings together masterpieces by two giants of 19th-century photography of China.  Lai Fong and John Thomson originated many of the most significant developments in the early art of photography in China. This show reveals the intricate and fascinating relationship between the works of the most famous early Chinese photographer and those of his leading foreign contemporary. The two photographers crossed paths, competed for patrons, and had a meaningful influence on one another and the art of photography.

This major exhibition gives viewers the opportunity to compare and contrast Lai Fong’s expressive artistry and technical ingenuity alongside Thomson’s stylistic virtuosity.

Sun and Silver: Early Photographs of China by Lai Fong and John Thomson spans the careers of both artists through the finest examples of vintage prints, all dating to the 1860s and 1870s. It also presents works by other 19th-century photography studios in China that share the themes and subjects of Lai Fong’s and Thomson’s photographs. The exhibition suggests new ways of looking at the origins of photography in China.

This exhibition of works by Lai Fong and John Thomson presents a tiny sliver of the holdings of the Loewentheil Collection, the most important collection of early China photographs in the world.

They look forward to welcoming you soon!