Canton City 1869

Milton Miller captured this photograph of Canton City, now Guangzhou, during a time of significant cultural exchange and conflict between China and the West. Miller, an American photographer, presents us with a sweeping view of the city, a landscape punctuated by traditional architecture and lush vegetation. This image exists within the complex history of 19th-century Western interactions with China, marked by trade, imperialism, and cultural exchange. As Western powers sought to expand their influence, photography became a tool for documenting and representing foreign lands and cultures. In this context, Miller's photograph serves as both a visual record and a statement of Western perspective on a foreign land. Consider the gaze through which this image was created and consumed. What does it mean to view a city and its people through the lens of a foreign power? This photograph invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in such representations. While it captures a moment in the history of Canton, it also reveals much about the photographer and the world he represents.