A Lasting Memento: John Thomson’s Photographs Along the River Min

A Lasting Memento: John Thomson’s Photographs Along the River Min

MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025

Voyage into 19th-century China through one of PEM’s photographic treasures, John Thomson’s album Foochow and the River Min. This intimate exhibition features more than 40 striking landscapes, city views and portrait studies that Thomson captured as he traveled in the southeastern Fujian province. Photographs by contemporary artist Luo Dan, who was inspired by Thomson to undertake a similar journey in southwestern China, complement the presentation.

A Lasting Memento: John Thomson’s Photographs Along the River Min is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation, Quan Zhou and Dr. Xiaohua Zhang, Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, Kate and Ford O’Neil and Connie and Stan Grayson provided generous support. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.

A Lasting Memento
John Thomson’s Photographs Along the River Min
June 1, 2019 – May 17, 2020

Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex St Salem, MA 01970
https://www.pem.org

John Thomson, The Island Pagoda, 1873. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, The Island Pagoda, 1873. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Pagoda Island, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Pagoda Island, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Yuen-Fu Rapid, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Yuen-Fu Rapid, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

Luo Dan, Simple Song No. 4 (Yang Du Lei and Her Sister Yang Hua Lin, WaWa Village), 2010. Inkjet print from collodion negatives. © Luo Dan, Courtesy of M97 Gallery.

Luo Dan, Simple Song No. 4 (Yang Du Lei and Her Sister Yang Hua Lin, WaWa Village), 2010. Inkjet print from collodion negatives. © Luo Dan, Courtesy of M97 Gallery.

John Thomson, A Wreck in the Rapids, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, A Wreck in the Rapids, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.


MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025