John Thomson, Portrait of a Woman, albumen silver print, c.1870

Sun and Silver: Early Photographs of China by Lai Fong and John Thomson
Through June 10, 2025
10 West 18th Street, 7th Floor
Open by appointment

The Loewentheil Photography of China Collection is pleased to announce the extended run of Sun and Silver: Early Photographs of China by Lai Fong and John Thomson, now on view through June 10. This landmark exhibition unites masterworks by two towering figures in 19th-century photography of China. Lai Fong, the most celebrated early Chinese photographer, and John Thomson, his prominent foreign contemporary, each played a pivotal role in shaping the early artistic and technical development of photography in China. This major exhibition gives viewers the opportunity to compare and contrast Lai Fong’s expressive artistry and technical ingenuity alongside Thomson’s stylistic virtuosity. This show reveals the intricate and fascinating relationship between the works of these two photographers who crossed paths, competed for patrons, and had a meaningful influence on one another and the art of photography.

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 presents a tiny sliver of the holdings of the Loewentheil Collection, the most important collection of early China photographs in the world.

To learn more and schedule an appointment, click here.