Taiwan in the Eyes of a Western Traveler--John Thomson’s Footprints in Formosa
John Thomson (1837-1921) is regarded as a pioneering photographer in the 19th century. He traveled to Far East, documenting the portraits, landscapes and eastern cultures profoundly through his lens and these photographs have become precious historical records. Although John Thomson only stayed in Taiwan for a few days, the images and notes he left are valuable historical materials for the research into Taiwan in the 1870s. His story could be comparable to Shen Bao-zhen, one of the figures in 「Traveling in Time 」Exhibition. They were the travelers who came to Taiwan in the same time period. Through their stories, we can learn how they interpret Formosa in the 19th century. |