Early Photography in Asia: East Asia

The University of Colorado Boulder Libraries holds a variety of early photographs of East Asia. While only some areas in East Asia fell under full colonial control, the two largest countries, Japan and China, both existed in a reality often termed "semi-colonialism." Although local citizens set up photography studios in the late 19th century in many large cities in East Asia, a large number of early photographs of the region come from western photographers and by the early 20th century, Japanese photographers. With that in mind, although the following photographs are important documentary evidence of life in the region, it is important to view these images with a critical eye and consider how these photographs may reinforce colonial or orientalist ideologies and contribute to an “othering” of local people.