White Pagoda, Foochow 1869

John Thomson captured "White Pagoda, Foochow" using photography, a relatively new medium at the time, during his travels in China. Thomson’s photographs offer a window into 19th-century China, a period marked by colonial encounters and cultural exchange. The image presents a landscape dominated by traditional Chinese architecture, with the pagoda standing as a focal point amidst a sea of tiled roofs. But what does it mean to view this scene through the lens of a Western photographer? What does it mean to see the culture of a place mediated by an outsider’s perspective? Thomson's work prompts us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the act of representation, raising questions about authenticity, cultural appropriation, and the role of photography in shaping perceptions of the ‘other.’ The photograph becomes a site where the identities and histories of both the subject and the photographer intersect.