Early Photography in Vietnam 9781912961054

Citation preview

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

Map of French Indochina, 1902, showing the main divisions of Vietnam: Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin

Early Photography in Vietnam a By

Terry Bennett

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM First published 2020 by RENAISSANCE BOOKS PO Box 219 Folkestone Kent CT20 2WP Renaissance Books is an imprint of Global Books Ltd © Terry Bennett 2020 ISBN 978-1-912961-04-7 [Hardback] 978-1-912961-05-4 [e-Book] All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library

The Author and Publishers have made every effort to contact the authors/copyright-holders of the images reproduced in Early Photography in Vietnam. This has not been possible in every case and we would welcome correspondence from those individuals and organizations we have been unable to trace.

Set in Stone 9 on 11 point by Dataworks Printed and bound in England by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wilts

CONTENTS a

Map of Vietnam, 1902 Preface Acknowledgements Introduction: Colonization and the Camera

ii vii xi 1

Chapter 1 The Earliest Photographs of Vietnam and the Vietnamese

11

Chapter 2 Commercial Studios (1860s–1870s)

44

Chapter 3 Émile Gsell (1838–1879): Celebrated Photographer of Nineteenth-Century Vietnam

60

Chapter 4 Commercial Studios (1880s–1890s)

100

Chapter 5 Charles-Édouard Hocquard (1853–1911): Photographer of the 1884–5 SinoFrench War

154

Chapter 6 Selection of Twentieth-Century Photographers

175

Chronology of Photography in Vietnam (1845–1954)

259

Appendix 1 Index of Photographers and Studios in Vietnam (1845–1954)

273

Appendix 2 Number Lists: Raphael Moreau and Émile Gsell

280

Appendix 3 Postcards

292

Appendix 4 Royal Photographic Portraits

302

Appendix 5 Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards

323

Appendix 6 1863 Vietnamese Embassy to France

386

Photographic Terms Select Bibliography

399 403

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

vi

PREFACE a

I

did not expect to be writing a book on the early photography of Vietnam, specifically one that covers the French colonial period of the 1850s to the 1950s. For more than thirty years I have been focused on photography in East Asia, principally China, Japan and Korea. Between 2007 and 2012 I was involved in producing a three-volume work about early photography in China. The effort left me exhausted and I felt in need of a prolonged break from writing and research. More or less on impulse, I decided to spend the 2012–13 Christmas and New Year period in Vietnam, travelling slowly from Hanoi in the north to Saigon in the south. I was enchanted – with the people, the culture, the architecture and the food. On returning to London, I could not resist consulting the existing references on Vietnamese photography (old habits are hard to break). Unlike some other countries in Southeast Asia, notably Thailand and Singapore, nothing of substance seemed to have appeared in English. Apart from a few small books on early twentieth-century postcards, nothing had been published in Vietnam other than a few articles. In France there were a couple of good books on the subject but I was left with the distinct impression that this was a field of study that had barely begun. I started to study the subject and became increasingly fascinated and began to collect those photographs which interested me. There are more than fifty ethnic minorities in Vietnam, all with their distinct histories, cultures and modes of dress. Many of the early photographic portraits I encountered were simply stunning. There were also the turbulent events of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Vietnamese history, many of which were caught on camera. The history of photography in Vietnam is inextricably linked to French colonial ambitions in Asia. France attacked Vietnam in 1858 and subsequently occupied southern Vietnam in 1859. By the end of the century it had extended its colonial influence across the whole of the country as well as to neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. After almost a century of occupation, the French were forced to leave in 1954 as calls for independence became impossible to ignore. The French introduced photography to Vietnam but until the latter years of the nineteenth century very few Vietnamese photographers – amateur or commercial – practised the art. The majority of the photographs in this book, particularly the early ones, were therefore taken by French commercial photographers, military officers, diplomats, missionaries, merchants and travellers. As a result, this book will of necessity present a predominantly Western-centric portrayal of Vietnam. Post-colonial scholars will find ample material here to justify their well-rehearsed theories and views on the subject. I aim to avoid such discourse and instead focus on the historical imagery that has survived. I am more interested in early photography than in discussing the ‘imperial gaze’, many accounts of which, at least in my opinion, are oversimplified or insufficiently nuanced. A photographer may or may not have been an unreconstructed imperialist. The post-colonial writer who starts with that assumption and judges the photographs accordingly is in danger of making erroneous assessments. Nineteenth-century photography was as much an art as a science. Research has shown that many photogra-

phers were interested in art and were capable artists themselves. We can see evidence of this by studying surviving examples of landscape photography, including some contained in this book. Good early portraiture is hard to achieve without having some artistic sensibility and empathy with the subject. Professional photographers also had a commercial imperative: they could not make a living unless they sold their photographs. Unlike in today’s digital age, the effort and expense involved in producing a single nineteenth-century photograph were significant. While the so-called ‘imperial gaze’ may have been unconsciously present when the photographer pointed his camera, his primary concern would have been whether the pictures he took would sell. The motive was financial. Post-colonial writers should consider these factors more than they seem to have done in the past. When captioning the images in this book, I have adopted a factual rather than interpretive approach. It is a relief to leave that work to others, knowing that judgments made today can appear very different from the passing of the years. Where the original captioning has survived, this has invariably been used and it should be understood that the wording reflects the original author’s views, not mine. Note also that when referring to Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin in this book it should be taken to mean southern, central and northern Vietnam respectively. Knowing that the subject had not been previously covered in any great depth, I felt I might be able to contribute something worthwhile. My plans have not been too ambitious, however, merely to record the names of the key photographers, identify some of their work and, where it was known or could be researched, sketch out something of their lives. I feel reasonably confident that I have been able to identify most of the nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century foreign commercial photographers. However, I am less optimistic that all of the leading Vietnamese photographers have been found, but perhaps I have managed to capture and record most of them. Amateur photographers are much harder to track since they usually had no need or incentive to leave traces of their photographic activities. Sources consulted have been predominantly Western, mainly French. It will be interesting to see what new information on the subject emerges when future researchers tap into available Vietnamese sources. In the meantime, it follows that this book can never claim to be a comprehensive history of photography in Vietnam. It should, however, at least provide an outline map, indicating paths along which others may conveniently travel. I have been asked on several occasions how I go about researching for a book on early photography. First, I find it easier to follow a chronological structure, starting with the earliest known photography and then taking it up to the end of the predetermined dateline. In the case of this book, for example, I decided to focus on the French colonial period, the 1850s through to the 1950s, with a brief look at the mid-1840s when the camera first appeared in Vietnam. My approach throughout is photographer-centric. I attempt to identify as much of a given artist’s work as possible, understand when and where they worked, and finally try to understand their motivation in photographing a particular person or scene. I am not an art historian and do not set out to judge the value or quality of a photographer’s work. My approach is iconographic to some degree but is interpretive only to the extent that I look for clues in a given image which might help to answer questions about who the photographer was, when and where the picture was made, and why. My priority is in identifying the photographer. If that can be achieved, working out the when, where and why becomes infinitely easier. Many thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of nineteenth-century photographs held in institutional or private

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM viii

collections have not been attributed to any photographer or even to a time or place. Lacking such information and context means the photograph has little or no interest to historians. By way of illustration, consider the commercial value of a photograph. For example, Gustave Le Gray is thought by many to be the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century. In 1999 his shot of a beech tree in the forest of Fontainebleau sold at Sotheby’s for a then world record price for a photograph of more than £400,000. Imagine if that print existed with no caption or provenance and no knowledge as to its authorship. The photo of an unknown tree in an anonymous forest might then, in that case, be easily overlooked. Although this is an extreme example, even less-famous images, once authorship has been determined, can take on a different meaning and establish themselves as objects of interest and value. More so than amateurs, commercial photographers left traces. They were in business for themselves and needed to attract customers. They advertised in newspapers, magazines and business directories. Some of the more talented and successful artists had their work reproduced in periodicals and books. Others helpfully signed their work or included visible handwritten numbers and captions in the negative. Discovering the author of a particular picture allows us to narrow down the date the photograph was taken and where. Surviving business directories make it relatively easy to find when and where a photographer worked, even if we know little about the individual concerned. How do you track down the photographers? My research methodology for this book has been no different to how I have worked in the past when writing about photographers in China, Japan or Korea. I started by collecting the few books and articles available on the subject of Vietnamese photography and then compiled a list of the photographers mentioned and paid particular attention to any illustrations showing their work. I studied the advertisements and listings of photographers that appeared in the French-language newspapers and directories published in Vietnam during the colonial period. That then gave me a pretty extensive list of photographers and a relatively clear idea of when and where they worked in Vietnam. The work is time-consuming but rewarding. It meant consulting the holdings at the colonial archives in Paris, and especially in Aix-en-Provence. I spent considerable time at the Bibliotèque Nationale looking at the illustrations of Vietnam and its people in periodicals such as L’Illustration and Le Monde Illustré. These images took the form of engravings until the early 1890s when photographs started to appear, usually then with the photographer’s name included. Even the earlier pictures would sometimes indicate in their captions that the image was based on a real photograph by a named photographer. I also looked through a large number of French illustrated travel books seeking photo-illustrations with the photographers identified. All of this helped to build up a ‘picture library’ of author-identified photo images. I supplemented this work by reading up on and familiarizing myself with the significant events of Vietnamese history, particularly those relating to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I did this to understand better and contextualize some of the images I had already seen. It was necessary, of course, to consult the collections of Indochina photography held by both institutions and individuals in Europe (mainly France), America and Asia. By then, because of the preparatory work outlined above, I was already able to identify many images that were catalogued as unknown or where the photographer was unattributed. Looking at twentieth-century photographic postcards published in Vietnam was also very useful. From the early 1900s photographic postcards were sent from Vietnam to friends and families back in France. Very many of these have survived and they are

PREFACE

ix

an underestimated resource for photo-historians. The images of scenes and portraits are interesting enough in themselves. Moreover, the fact that many of the cards have stamps showing the date posted can be of obvious benefit when dating early images. Also, when the sender included a message, the content will sometimes provide fascinating information about the photographed location or subject. The most significant benefit to researchers, however, is that most of the cards indicate the name of the photographer or publisher. It seems that other countries were not as scrupulous as the French in protecting the copyright interests of the original authors (see Appendix 3). It is true that as photographers retired, died or left the country, their photographic negatives would often end up with successor studios. These studios would then have little hesitation in associating their names with images taken by these former artists. However, this did not always happen and even when it did it is still possible to track the chronology of specific images. For example, one might have an earlier card with the original photographer’s name correctly shown. Following the demise of that studio, we might come across the same image attributed to the successor studio. If one or both cards are stamped with the date of posting, we can often make a reasonable assumption about the image’s original authorship. During the first two decades of the twentieth century, many of the leading postcard publishers issued, as individual postcards, collages of their most popular images. These are particularly helpful when trying to attribute authorship to otherwise unidentified photographs. Many studios included numbers which were written in the negative and appear on the face of the photographic prints. These numbers were used by commercial studios to regulate their stock and also, presumably, to assist in copyrighting their work. Compiling lists of these numbers is an effective method for identifying photographers and patterns emerge quickly (see Appendix 2). I think I have been able to set down a broadly chronological structure showing the leading photographers and where and when they operated. I should emphasize again that this book is only an introduction to the subject. The work is far from complete and will benefit from the future input of other researchers, especially Vietnamese with easier access to their local and national archives. Although there is currently no national photography museum in Vietnam, nor any significant collections of early original photography, I sense that there is growing interest amongst Vietnamese in their country’s visual past. This interest will undoubtedly lead to previously unmined Vietnamese sources delivering up new information. It has been rewarding to reconnect previously anonymous photographs with their original authors. Here again, there is still much work to be done. Back in France, there now seems to be a slow reawakening of interest in those countries that once formed French Indochina. In the first fifty years following French withdrawal from the region in the 1950s, there seems to have been muted interest in Vietnamese studies in France. That is now changing. Other colonial powers have also had difficulty in assessing objectively their past involvement in those territories they once occupied and controlled. This book is not the place to discuss or debate those sensitivities. But in understanding Vietnam’s recent history, and French involvement in trying to shape it, historical photographs are of immeasurable importance. I hope this book will help to stimulate further interest. If this text, despite its defects and deficiencies, helps to encourage new substantive research, then I will be more than satisfied. Terry Bennett London, October 2019

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

x

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a

I

should like to thank the many people who have assisted me with my research. In particular, I should like to acknowledge the work of the late Marie-Hélène Degroise (1947–2012), former curator at the Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer. I did not have the pleasure of meeting her but the meticulous website she compiled, detailing the work of photographers in former French colonial territories, was of immense value. Her research is of great importance and can be found on her website. The frequent references to Degroise in this book have been taken from this site: http://photographesenoutremerasie.blogspot.de/ Philippe Damas and Serge Kakou kindly allowed me to reproduce some photographs from their collections, and Noor Azlina Yunus did a wonderful job in editing my manuscript. Others who have helped in various ways include Christine Barthe, Joachim K. Bautze, Julien Beal, Régis Besse, Thomas Cazentre, Philippe Dallais, JeanPierre Daniel, Jerome Delatour, Eric Deroo, Isabelle Dion, Tim Doling, Jean-Philippe Dumas, Jean-Antoine Garcin, Guillaume Garner, Jérôme Ghesquière, Olivier Loiseaux, Gilles Massot, Li Haiwei, Jim Mizerski, Greg Muller, Gael Newton, Nguyen Duc Hiep, Nguyen Van Huy, Edouard de Saint-Ours, Jean-Yves Tréhin-Saulière, Jeffrey Spencer, Barbara Staniszewska and Bruno Tartarin. My apologies to any others whose names I have inadvertently omitted.

INTRODUCTION

Colonalization and the Camera a

MISSIONARY ACTIVITY AND THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY

T

here had been French missionary involvement in Vietnam from the time of the Jesuit priest Alexandre de Rhodes, who arrived in 1620. He was expelled in 1630 by the Tonkin ruler Trinh Trang, who was becoming increasingly concerned about the spread of Catholicism in his realm. Subsequent rulers alternated between tolerance and persecution, but by the early nineteenth century Vietnam had become a hostile environment for any follower of the Faith. Emperor Minh Mang issued a proclamation making the practice of Christianity illegal in 1825. Vietnam also became increasingly isolationist. In the 1830s, some French missionaries who defied the ban were captured, tortured and executed. Foreigners, especially missionaries, were not welcome in Vietnam. When Minh Mang died in 1841, his eldest son Thieu Tri continued with a policy of isolationism and imprisoned some missionaries. Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre was arrested and condemned to death. In 1845 Admiral Jean-Baptiste Cécille was sent to Vietnam and successfully negotiated the Bishop’s release. It was at this time that the earliest known photographs of Vietnam were taken by Jules Itier (see Chapter 1).

PROTECTING THE MISSIONARIES

In 1847 French warships were sent to Tourane (present-day Da Nang) to secure the release of Lefèbvre, who had again entered Vietnam and been arrested, and another imprisoned missionary. Fighting broke out and four Vietnamese ships were sunk, resulting in around 1,200 deaths. Sources differ over whether Lefèbvre and his colleague were released before or after the battle ensued. Emperor Tu Duc ascended the throne in 1847 and followed the example set by his predecessors in minimizing contact with the outside world and discouraging the practice and spread of Christianity. Some trade with the West was tolerated but trading activities were small-scale and undertaken under strict supervision. The court remained suspicious about foreign plans, and China’s defeat in the First Opium War (1839–42), together with its partial loss of sovereignty, had heightened concerns. It also had to deal with internal dissent and worried about real or imagined collusion between rebel forces and foreign agents aligned with the growing number of Catholic converts. By the middle of the century, it is estimated that some 300,000 Vietnamese had been converted and foreign missionaries were increasingly ignoring royal edicts by

illegally entering the country and preaching to the native population. The court was in an uncomfortable position. If it tolerated the hated foreign religion, there was a real risk that the number of converts would continue to grow and the legitimacy of the ruling Nguyen family be undermined. Owing first allegiance to a Christian god rather than to the ruling class was against all Confucian ideals and something to be avoided. On the other hand, if vigorous attempts were made to suppress and outlaw the foreign religion, this could alienate the foreign ‘barbarians’ and provoke them into invading the country. FRENCH MILITARY INTERVENTION

Not for the first time in the history of the colonial expansion of European countries, religious persecution created a pretext for intervention. For some 200 years, such abuse in Vietnam had only been met with sporadic and limited reprisals by France. In 1857 Emperor Tu Duc executed two Spanish Catholic missionaries, probably calculating that international response would be muted. However, Tu Duc’s timing was unfortunate. First, French national opinion had been growing ever-critical of perceived weakness on the part of the government in responding to the ill-treatment in Vietnam of Catholic bishops and priests. Secondly, British colonial expansion in Asia had increased the determination of the French political and military classes to carve out their spheres of influence. Thirdly, the growing number of Catholic converts had attracted large numbers of French and Spanish missionaries and the French government had increasingly assumed the role of being their protector. Last, and most crucial, the Second Opium War (1857–60) in which French forces were allied to the British in fighting the Chinese meant that French military presence in the region had never been higher. In November 1857 Napoleon III of France authorized Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly to mount a punitive strike on Vietnam. Furthermore, the Spanish joined the expedition, which consisted of fourteen French gunships, 3,000 men and 300 Filipino troops provided by the Spanish. The joint forces attacked and occupied Da Nang in September 1858. This military action was captured on camera and represents the only known photography in Vietnam since Itier first used his camera there in 1845 (see Paul Berranger’s photographs in Chapter 1).

1. L. Pierson. Portrait of Charles Rigault de Genouilly, c.1863, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

2

COLONIAL FOOTHOLD

The French had now taken their first decisive step towards establishing a colonial presence in Indochina. Despite capturing Da Nang, however, Vietnamese resistance had been higher than expected and the confident predictions of the missionaries that the native Christians would rise in support of the French did not materialize. The French and Spanish did not have the military numbers to march on to the nearby capital of Hue and, in fact, found themselves encircled by a hostile and determined enemy. Although they were under siege, they were in no immediate danger since they had more than sufficient forces to defend themselves. Rigault de Genouilly weighed up his options: either he would switch the point of attack to Tonkin in the north or go south to continue Franco-Spanish hostilities in Cochinchina. He decided on the latter course of action and in early February 1859 set sail with the bulk of his forces to attack Saigon. In what was an undoubtedly risky strategy, he left behind only a small contingent of soldiers and sailors protected by two gunboats. Saigon was taken on 17 February and in April Rigault de Genouilly returned to Da Nang with most of his forces to relieve the hard-pressed garrison. Around 1,000 men were left behind to defend Saigon. At least two photographs taken in Saigon at this time have survived (see Chapter 1). While it was true that both Da Nang and Saigon had been subdued, it would be hard to describe Rigault de Genouilly’s military strategy as a resounding success. The joint Franco-Spanish forces in both towns had insufficient strength to do anything other than stay where they were. They were still effectively under siege. Moreover, the ability of the French to provide reinforcements was constrained by the outbreak in Europe of the Austro-Sardinian War, which tied down no less than half of the French army. In October 1859, due to his actions in Cochinchina being severely criticized in France, Rigault de Genouilly was replaced by Admiral François Page. The military stalemate continued throughout 1860. Although the Austro-Sardinian War soon ended, hostilities had again broken out in China and France needed to focus its military attention on that country and did not substantially reinforce the garrisons at Da Nang or Saigon. Page was ordered to divert most of his forces to assist in the China expedition and he left with them in April 1860. Sensing their opportunity, the Vietnamese had begun to step up their siege activities around Saigon and the 1,000-man garrison, surrounded by a Vietnamese army of some 4,000, was now in considerable danger. The French decided to evacuate their garrison at Da Nang to regroup in Saigon. They left in April 1860. Emperor Tu Duc saw this Da Nang evacuation as a victory and had the news proclaimed throughout Vietnam. Although the Franco-Spanish forces were now able to defend their outpost in Saigon, they were still not strong enough to break out and the impasse continued throughout 1860. STRENGTHENING FRENCH RESOLVE

Events were to take a dramatic turn, however, when French forces were released from China following the end of the Second Opium War. Both admirals Charner and Page were now able to return to Cochinchina with an intimidating force of 70 ships and 3,500 military personnel. This statement of intent represented the most potent French naval force ever assembled in Vietnamese waters. After several weeks of preparation, in February 1861 the Franco-Spanish troops were ready to take the initiative. On 24–25 February they launched an all-out assault on the Vietnamese army in the battle of Ky Hoa. The Vietnamese defences, under the command of the famous general Nguyen Tri Phuong, had grown to around 32,000 men.

COLONALIZATION AND THE CAMERA

3

Despite determined resistance, the superior military technology employed against the Vietnamese led to a decisive victory. The French offered terms to Tu Duc, which were considerably harsher than those previously presented in November 1859. They included the free exercise of Christianity throughout Vietnam, the relinquishment to France of Saigon province, payment of a war indemnity of four million piastres, freedom of trade and travel inside Vietnam and the establishment of French consulates. Tu Duc was prepared to accept the foreign religion but rejected the other terms. The French responded by moving on the strategic town of My Tho, which surrendered in April 1861 without a shot being fired. The French re-presented their demands but had now increased their territorial claims to include My Tho province. RESISTANCE

The Vietnamese realized that confronting the foreign forces in the field was not viable and they therefore resorted to guerrilla tactics, trying to fan popular resistance. These tactics were aided, to some extent, by the sometimes-indiscriminate brutality meted out by the French forces on suspected insurgents. Admiral Charner had anticipated this danger but his orders to treat the peaceful villagers with respect were sometimes ignored. By May 1861 the Vietnamese guerrillas were creating severe difficulties for the French. Charner returned to France in the summer of 1861 and was replaced as the head of the Cochinchina expedition by Admiral Louis-Adolphe Bonard (1805–67), who arrived in Saigon at the end of November. Shortly after his arrival, the French boat and crew of the lorcha Espérance were lost following an ambush by guerrillas. Bonard determined on reprisals and decided to take Dong Nai province, whose capital was Bien Hoa. He succeeded in doing so on 16 December 1861. In what was suspected by the French to be an attack by guerrillas, a French gunboat off My Tho exploded on 10 March 1862 with fifty-two men killed or wounded. In retaliation Bonard sent to Vinh Long a task force of eleven despatch vessels and gunboats with a Franco-Spanish landing force of 1,000 troops. On 22 March the Vietnamese batteries were shelled and captured. The following day the citadel was entered and Vietnamese casualties were heavy. COLONIZATION OF COCHINCHINA

Demoralized by the fall of Vinh Long, the court of Hue decided it had no choice but to sue for peace. By now, however, the French attitude had hardened and this was reflected in the terms they now demanded. What had first begun in 1857 as a punitive expedition to Da Nang had turned into a lengthy, costly and vicious campaign. On 5 June 1862 a treaty was signed on board the French ship Duperré, moored before Saigon. Representing Vietnam was Tu Duc’s minister, Phan Thanh Gian. The French were represented by Admiral Bonard, while the Spanish representative was Colonel Palanca y Gutierrez. The Treaty of Saigon permitted the Catholic faith to be preached and practised throughout the country and the Mekong River was opened up to trade and travel. The provinces of Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh and Dinh Tuong and the island of Poulo Condore were ceded to France. The trading ports at Da Nang, Quang Yen and Bac Lac were to be opened. Finally, war indemnities of one million dollars were to be paid to France and Spain within ten years. These terms were considered humiliating to the Vietnamese and in 1863 Phan Thanh Gian was sent to Paris in a failed attempt to renegotiate them. Quite a few photographs of this embassy to France have survived (see photographs by Disderi and others in Appendix 6). Matters deteriorated for the Vietnamese when, in 1867, Admiral Pierre de la Grandière forced the Emperor to cede the adjacent territories of Chau Doc,

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

4

Ha Tien and Vinh Long. These concessions effectively doubled the size of the French colony of Cochinchina. However, Emperor Tu Duc refused to ratify these additional concessions until they were finally agreed in the 1874 Treaty of Saigon. The French now had control of the south of the country. From their capital in Saigon, they began to think of territorial expansion into Annam and Tonkin.

2. Map of Cochinchina, 1902. THE CAPTURE OF HANOI

The opportunistic French merchant Jean Dupuis got into a dispute with local officials while being involved in illicit trading in the north of the country. The governor of Cochinchina, Admiral Dupré, an ardent supporter of strengthening French influence and control in Tonkin, sent the French naval officer Francis Garnier to intercede. Garnier was also given orders to negotiate the opening of the Red River to trade. Although this was not official French policy at the time, there was an impatience on the part of the French administrators and admirals at Saigon to expand French influence in the north.1 Garnier’s strategy was to intimidate the court at Hue into making trade concessions. The Dupuis affair was merely a convenient pretext. On 20 November 1873 Garnier attacked the citadel at Hanoi and took occupation after overpowering the Vietnamese defenders. Several other forts and towns were taken in the following days, with the critical town of Nam Dinh falling on 10 December. All in all, four provinces were captured by the French. Garnier was himself killed in a fight with a Sino-Vietnamese militia group known as the Black Flags on 20 December 1873. The court at Hue and the French administration resolved all immediate differences in signing the 1874 Treaty of Saigon on 15 March. The French withdrew their forces from Hanoi and returned the four northern provinces. In return, Emperor Tu Duc formally accepted French sovereignty over the three southern provinces captured by Admiral La Grandière in 1867 and opened the Red River for trade as well as the ports of Hanoi, Haiphong and Qui Nhon. The French now had control over the whole of Cochinchina, with their colony now being formally recognized by the Vietnamese court. Significant commercial prog-

COLONALIZATION AND THE CAMERA

5

ress had been made in the north, or at least it appeared so on the surface. However, the Chinese were not happy about the growing French influence in Tonkin. They much preferred the previous state of affairs of Vietnam, being a truculent but tributary neighbour. Having a European military power on their doorstep was not at all appealing. Covert assistance was therefore provided to Vietnam by arming and encouraging the Black Flags, who would continue to be a thorn in the side of the French. The Qing court also let it be known to the French that they would not countenance Tonkin’s falling under French control. These underlying tensions were not resolved until the following decade. RENEWED HOSTILITIES AT HANOI

French naval officer Henri Rivière was sent to Hanoi with a small military force at the end of 1881 to investigate complaints made by local Vietnamese officials concerning alleged illegal activities of French merchants. In April 1882 Rivière exceeded his orders by attacking and occupying the citadel at Hanoi. Although he subsequently returned the fort to Vietnamese control, the court at Hue turned to China for support. In the summer of 1882 troops of the Chinese Yunnan and Guangxi armies crossed the border into Tonkin, occupying Lang Son, Hung Hoa, Bac Ninh and other towns. The French minister in China, Frédéric Bourée, decided that war with China at this stage was not in the interests of France. Accordingly, in December 1882 he negotiated a settlement with the Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang, which effectively split Tonkin into separate French and Chinese spheres of influence. The Vietnamese were not consulted. Rivière thought the deal to be detrimental to French interests and decided to take unilateral action. DEATH OF RIVIÈRE

Having been reinforced by a battalion of marine infantry from France, Rivière felt bold enough to consider operations beyond Hanoi. To secure his lines of communication from Hanoi to the sea, on 27 March 1883 he captured the citadel of Nam Dinh with a force of around 500 men. A day later, the Black Flags and Vietnamese soldiers tried to take advantage of Rivière’s absence by attacking Hanoi. The remaining French forces repulsed the attack and Rivière sought further instructions. In the meantime, the political landscape back in France had undergone a dramatic shift. Jules Ferry, an enthusiast of colonial expansion, was elected president. Public opinion had also moved in the same direction and the government decided to support Rivière, who was now considered a national hero. Bourée’s proposed agreement with the Chinese was denounced and the disappointed minister recalled to Paris. The French signalled to the Chinese that they intended to make Tonkin a French protectorate. The Chinese knew that Vietnam alone would be unable to win a full-scale war with France and in April 1883 they encouraged the Black Flags army to confront Rivière’s forces head on. The Black Flags army camped outside the walls of Hanoi and on 19 May Rivière marched out with a small force of around 450 men to attack them. The French were heading into an ambush and Rivière was killed. When news of the French defeat reached Paris, there was public outrage. One week later the Chamber of Deputies voted extra funds to enable the military to further its ambitions in Vietnam. Reinforcements were sent. In effect, Rivière’s death was the catalyst behind the French decision to extend their rule over the whole of Vietnam. The main obstacles remained the intransigence of the Hue court and the Chinese who saw their influence in Tonkin under threat.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

6

ANNAM AND TONKIN BECOME PROTECTORATES

The French wasted little time in furthering their ambitions. On 20 August 1883 Admiral Amédée Courbet, then in command of the Tonkin Coasts Naval Division, stormed the forts that protected the capital Hue, in what became known as the Battle of Thuan An. Hue was at the mercy of the French and the Vietnamese felt compelled to sign the Treaty of Hue on 25 August 1883. This treaty meant that Annam and Tonkin would become French protectorates and the southern province of Binh Thuan would be added to the French colony of Cochinchina. A French resident-general would be based in Hue and a garrison would be stationed in the Thuan An forts. Meanwhile, a French force under the command of General Alexandre-Eugène Bouët had attacked Black Flag positions at Phu Hoai and Palan in Tonkin. These battles were indecisive and the Black Flags consolidated their forces in the heavily fortified town of Son Tay. The Chinese provided support to the Black Flags and open hostility between China and France seemed increasingly likely.

3. Map of Annam, 1902.

COLONALIZATION AND THE CAMERA

7

In an attempt to settle the sovereignty question over Tonkin, a convention was negotiated between China and France and concluded on 11 May 1884. It provided for Chinese troops to withdraw in return for a treaty which would settle details of trade and commerce between the two countries and also provide for the demarcation of the disputed border between China and Vietnam. SINO-FRENCH WAR

The convention was not well received in China and hardliners ensured that a treaty would not be discussed further. Fighting between the two sides broke out near Bac Le on 23 June 1884 when the Chinese Guangxi Army ambushed a French column of troops. The French demanded an apology, indemnity and full implementation of the convention. Negotiations did not go smoothly, with both sides adopting intransigent positions. The Sino-French War effectively broke out on 23 August 1884 when the French navy attacked and destroyed China’s Fujian fleet and bombarded the Foochow Navy Yard. It was to last until April 1885. Meanwhile, in Tonkin ferocious battles were taking place on land. Battles were won and lost on both sides and no clear-cut overall victory was in sight. The inability of the French to impose themselves resulted in the collapse of the French government when Prime Minister Jules Ferry lost a vote of confidence on 30 March 1885. The French and Chinese armies had fought each other to a standstill and there was now little political will in Paris to continue with the war. On the Chinese side, fears were growing that the Japanese, and possibly the Russians, would join the conflict in alliance with the French. A protocol was signed on 4 April 1885 and a peace treaty was signed in Tianjin on 9 June 1885 by Li Hongzhang and the French minister Jules Patenôtre. The peace treaty meant that the Chinese would withdraw both their Yunnan and Guangxi armies from Tonkin. The Black Flag army also removed itself from Tonkinese territory. The French, in turn, withdrew from Formosa and the Pescadores Islands, which they had taken in March.

4. Map of Tonkin, 1902.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

8

Back in France the outcome of the war was seen as unsatisfactory and for a few years considerably dampened enthusiasm for further colonial expansion. In fact, in December 1885 Ferry’s successor as prime minister, Henri Brisson, also resigned following an acrimonious debate in the Chamber when a vote to provide additional financial support to the Tonkin expeditionary corps was only carried 274 to 270. France had been just a few votes away from withdrawing from Tonkin (see Chapter 5 for photographs of the war taken by Charles-Édouard Hocquard). AFTERMATH

In 1887 France agreed with China the land border between Tonkin and China. On 17 October that year Annam, Tonkin and Cambodia were added to the colony of Cochinchina to form French Indochina. Following the conclusion of the Franco-Siamese War, Laos was added in 1893 and the leased Chinese territory of Guangzhouwan in 1898. Ruling Vietnam was never comfortable for the French, who had to put down numerous rebellions during almost a century of occupation. The Vietnamese resented occupation and what they saw as economic exploitation of their country. Nevertheless, the French gradually consolidated their hold on the region and it was not until the advent of World War II that their grip on the country loosened. After the war the French returned to reassert control following the end of the Japanese occupation in August 1945. However, they met with growing resistance, mainly from the Viet Minh, a coalition of Communist and Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh. This resistance resulted in the First Indochina War which ran from December 1946 until August 1954. The critical battle was at Dien Bien Phu where the French were defeated in May 1954. The Geneva Convention of 1954 dissolved Indochina. The French left and Vietnam was once again independent. NOTE

1

Mark W. McLeod, The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention 1862–1874, New York: Praeger, 1991, p. 101.

COLONALIZATION AND THE CAMERA

9

CHAPTER 1

The Earliest Photographs of Vietnam and the Vietnamese a

I

n this chapter we will look at the very first photographs taken in Vietnam. These were produced in 1845 by the Frenchman Jules Itier, who also has the distinction of having made the earliest surviving photos of China a year earlier. Also included here is the earliest known portrait of Vietnamese taken by the traveller Fedor Jagor in 1857 in Singapore. This image is followed by the historical photos of Vietnam taken by the French naval officer Paul Berranger during the French invasion of 1858. His photographs include the earliest image of Saigon and, in 1859, the earliest known portrait of a Vietnamese taken in Vietnam. We also consider the Vietnamese embassy to Europe in 1863 where many of the participants were photographed. At the end of the chapter, we look at the work of some photographers, both amateurs and professionals, who used their cameras in Vietnam during short visits. These include some well-known artists such as John Thomson and August Sachtler. Perhaps there were others which have survived and remain to be discovered, but research to date has only uncovered those shown here. Beginning in the 1860s, some photographers established commercial studios in the country and these will be the subject of Chapter 2. ALPHONSE EUGÈNE JULES ITIER (1802–1877)

It appears that the first photographs of Vietnam were taken in 1845 in Tourane (present-day Da Nang) by the Frenchman Jules Itier, who was born in Paris on 8 April 1802. He was the son of an army officer and the fourth in a family of five children. His mother came from a family of customs officers and it was this profession that Jules would come to pursue, joining the French customs service at the age of seventeen and reaching the rank of inspector by the time he was thirty. His work saw him travel extensively across France, and in November 1842 he was sent to Senegal, Guyana and the West Indies in support of France’s commercial and colonial interests. It was in Saint-Louis, Senegal, that we first hear of Itier’s interest in photography. He confided in his journal on 7 January 1843: ‘I am receiving my daguerreotype.’ 1 How long he had already been practising photography is unclear, but from this time on he was an enthusiastic practitioner, recording his travels on camera whenever and wherever possible.

1. Jules Itier. Probable self-portrait, c.1870, albumen print. Collection Musée muséum départemental des HautesAlpes, Gap, France.

From an early age Jules had also shown an interest in science and mathematics and was an enthusiastic member of several learned societies.2 Although his scholarship and scientific insights and discoveries were well known and appreciated in the century, resulting in his receiving various awards and medals, this recognition has not continued to the present day. His work, other than his photography, is now all but forgotten. Moreover, his work in this field, which is of course our principal interest, was not rediscovered until the late 1970s when collector Gilbert Gimon traced many of his photographs and papers and published his findings in two articles in 1980 and 1981.3 In 1843 Itier was appointed the head of a commercial mission to China, the East Indies and the Pacific Islands, reporting to the ambassador, Théodore de Lagrené. Itier

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

12

left Brest on 12 December 1843 on board the French frigate Syrène, taking with him his daguerreotype camera, equipment, chemicals and plates. The outbound voyage took him to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Bourbon (Réunion), Singapore, Manila and finally Macau and Canton (Guangzhou). Itier reached China on 15 August 1844, anchoring in Macau harbour. In his Journal d’un voyage en Chine (1848),4 Itier makes numerous references to photography but it is not clear when he first used his camera. In China Itier’s time for the first few weeks of his stay seems to have been taken up working on the treaty, and it was not until mid-October that he appears to have found time to pursue his passion. A translation of his journal for 18 and 19 October 1844 reads: I have spent these two days taking the most remarkable views of Macau with a daguerreotype camera. Passers-by have lent themselves with the best will in the world to my exacting demands, and many Chinese have agreed to pose; but I had to show them the inside of the camera, just as the image was reflected on the polished glass – then there were exclamations of surprise and endless laughter.

The treaty between China and France was signed on 24 October 1844 at Whampoa (Huangpu), twelve miles down river from Guangzhou on board the French warship L’Archimède. Itier was anxious to photograph Lagrené and the Chinese commissioner together before the light faded, and he accomplished this before the treaty-signing ceremony, which took place in the evening and after the Chinese party’s tour of the ship. Itier also secured a series of fine plates of Guangzhou during November 1844. He then became ill and did not accompany the French mission to North China. He was cared for by a Chinese doctor and recovered in time to rejoin the mission, which, among other places, moved on to the Philippines, Java, Borneo, Singapore and Vietnam. Of the many plates that Itier took in China, which represent the earliest surviving photographs of that country, around forty have survived.5 Some of these are in private collections but the majority can be found in the Musée français de la Photographie, Bièvres.6 Although securing a treaty with China was the principal aim of the mission, one of the instructions given to de Lagrené by King Louis Philippe’s Department of Foreign Affairs was to explore possible locations for a French port in the China Sea. Candidates for this were the island of Basilan in the Sulu archipelago, which upon investigation proved unsuitable, and Da Nang in Vietnam. At this time French naval captains in the Far East were given orders to protect the interests of French Roman Catholic missionaries. Word was received that a French missionary, Bishop Monseigneur Dominique Lefèbvre, was being held captive by the Vietnamese and it was decided that a rescue attempt would be mounted.7 The mission had moved on to Singapore and it was from there that Itier accompanied Captain Fornier du Plan in the French corvette Alcmène, which left for Da Nang on 16 May 1845. Late afternoon on 30 May the Alcmène reached its destination and on the following day anchored at the foot of the hill on which stands the fort of Non Nay, which protects the bay. During the two weeks of tense negotiations for the release of Lefèbvre, Itier visited the town and its surroundings. On the morning of 12 June the Vietnamese had agreed to release the missionary and the order was given to depart as soon as Lefèbvre was on board. Itier, who had planned to use his daguerreotype camera before leaving Da Nang, was caught off-guard by this sudden decision. He obtained permission to go ashore but shortly after disembarking a signal sounded and the ship began to weigh anchor, in preparation for leaving. Being left behind was now a real danger. However, Itier was determined to use his prepared plates and succeeded in making two exposures. The first was the fort of Non

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

13

Nay and, by turning around, he also captured the local topography and the Alcmène on the point of leaving the bay. He recorded these anxious moments in his journal: ‘A delay of a few minutes could change the course of my destiny, but these few minutes are essential to me if I am to carry away irrefutable evidence of these journeys.’8 Assisted by the calm sea waters, his rowing boat was able to reach the departing corvette in time. From the descriptions of this event given in his journal, it seems that he may well have developed the plates on the rowing boat because on reaching the ship he writes that the views of the fort and the bay had been successful. In a recent article containing crucial new research data on Itier, Gilles Massot discusses both of the plates at length and affirms that the daguerreotype showing the Alcmène leaving the bay of Da Nang was a reasonably successful view, clearly showing elements of the local topography.9 Itier identified the same scene in both his journal and in a caption written by him on the reverse of the plate. The view of the fort, however, is underexposed and does not present any striking feature. Although this image is visually less attractive than that of the ship and bay, Itier nevertheless selected it as an illustration for volume 3 of his journal. It is possible that this view has deteriorated over time, but even so his choice is worthy of some reflection. H. Cosserat reproduced an engraving of the scene in a 1927 article but regretted the absence of a more scenic view: ‘How regretful it is, according to this description, that Jules Itier did not reproduce in his book the two pictures, which if we are to believe him “were fully successful”, and

2. Jules Itier. View of Non Nay Fort situated at the Bay of Da Nang, 12 June 1845. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

14

3. Reverse of 2.

which would be for us today documents of much higher interest than this banal fort of Non Nay that he gives us.’10 Cosserat implies that there were three daguerreotypes taken of Da Nang, not two. But this appears to be a mistaken interpretation of Itier’s journal. It should be remembered that Itier’s original daguerreotypes were not available to the public at the time Cosserat’s article was written, and Itier’s photographic work was known only through the three lithographs in his journal which were also reproduced as woodcuts in an article by Lavollée in a noted French periodical in 1854.11

4. Jules Itier. French warship Almène in Da Nang harbour, 12 June 1845, daguerreotype. Serge Kakou Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

15

5. Reverse of 4.

According to Massot, Itier’s choice can be better contextualised when we consider the political situation of the time. The de Lagrené Mission had just completed the Sulu part of the voyage and the prospects for the establishment of a French naval base in that part of the China Sea were not promising. Conspicuously free of any Western presence or influence other than a few Catholic missionaries, Vietnam was more or less the only option left to the French. One of the justifications for such a course of action would be the ability to protect the Roman Catholic French missionaries of the Société des Missions étrangères de Paris, some of whom were suffering persecution and sometimes torture and execution by the Vietnamese, who were highly suspicious of their motives. Indeed, it was the harsh treatment of these missionaries that would eventually lead to open and

6. Engraving of Non Nay Fort appearing in Jules Itier’s Journal d’un voyage en Chine en 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

16

escalating conflict with the French, culminating in a punitive military strike on Da Nang in 1858 by Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly. This event could be said to have been the catalyst for the start of the French colonization process of Indochina.12 In his journal Itier includes a detailed survey of the geographical, political and economic situation in Vietnam, informed by his conversations with Bishop Lefèbvre. He suggested that the country’s military forces would be unable to withstand a French assault and that its forts were vulnerable. He concludes: ‘Furthermore, the geographical situation of this territory … and its salubrious climate seem to gather all the desirable conditions for a colonial establishment of great prospect. A few infantry regiments would be enough for its conquest.’13 Throughout his journal, Itier demonstrates a clear understanding of the then current political interactions between Asian countries and the Western powers, and he is in no doubt that France would benefit from extending its colonial reach to Vietnam. It is against this background that we can see why he would choose to illustrate in his journal what he considered to be nothing more than a minor obstacle in the path of French territorial expansion – the Non Nay Fort. The publication of this image in the influential French weekly newspaper L’Illustration ensured the attention of a wider audience.14 Gilles Massot contends that when Itier was taking his two photographs, he was doing so in the knowledge that ‘... he was documenting a political event of possibly far-reaching consequences, and makes it clear that he took these pictures because he regarded them as irrefutable evidence.’ Aside from being the first known photograph of Vietnam, Massot believes the importance of the image of the Non Nay Fort also lies in its combination of ‘... all the elements that define “reportage” as we now understand it. From topic to intention, to eventful recording, to dissemination in relation to text reporting the event, all the elements are there to make it possibly the earliest fullfledged “photojournalistic” photograph.’15 By the end of August 1845 Itier’s health began to deteriorate and he sought permission to return to France. Returning via Malta and Egypt, he was back home by February 1846. Already a member of the Legion of Honour, Itier was made an Officer of the Legion shortly after his return. Financially secure, and with his customs career going well, he decided to settle down. One month after his arrival he married Henriette de Brémond, daughter of an army general, with whom he was to have two children. In 1848 he was promoted to director of customs at Montpellier and in the following year bought a large property in Serres, his family hometown in the French Southern Alps, in which he built a photographic darkroom. Family portraits show that he was still actively practising the art in 1859 although by then he was using the wet-plate collodion method. In 1853 he took on his last professional role as principal receiver at Marseilles. He retired early in 1857 and settled in Montpellier. The same year he was honoured as a Chevalier of St Maurice and St Lazare. On 13 October 1877, at the age of seventy-five, Itier died in Montpelier and was buried at Serres. Jules Itier’s full-time career with the French customs enabled him to travel extensively. He used his camera from the early 1840s and his surviving daguerreotypes show that he was able to capture some of the earliest photographs of Asia. His 1844 views of Singapore, the Philippines and China are the earliest surviving photographs of those countries. The two images he took in Da Nang, in June 1845, are almost certainly the first photographs of Vietnam. An intellectual, he had a real passion and flair for science and his contributions to that field engendered much respect within the scientific community. Nevertheless, it is as a photographer that he is now remembered. We should also not underestimate the immense difficulties he would have faced in coping with the varied climatic conditions and the lack of supply of reliable chemicals

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

17

and plates in the countries he visited. Itier was not a professional photographer and we should not be too surprised at the condition of the 100 or so surviving plates that he brought home. Most of them are indistinct. John Wood commented: ‘Inadequate polishing and the use of cheaper plates have left many of Itier’s images barely visible today.’16 It is likely that Itier exhausted his supply of plates brought from France while photographing in China. After that he was forced to acquire others of varying quality in Manila and Cairo. The poor quality of Itier’s plates, however, should not in any way detract from his immense achievement. His place in the photo-history of Asia is assured. FEDOR JAGOR (1816–1900)

Fedor Jagor is a little-known but interesting early photographer of Asia. His life and career are covered in detail in Joachim Bautze’s Unseen Siam: Early Photography 1860– 1910 (2016, pp. 27–43). Although Jagor appears not to have travelled in Vietnam, he is of interest to us in that he took the earliest known portrait of Vietnamese people in November or December 1857. According to Bautze, the photograph, a stereoview, was shot in Singapore and the subjects are either residents or visiting merchants. It was published in a stereoview series of some 130 views which, according to Bautze, were available in around 1863. The delay in publication was caused by Jagor’s extended stay in the Far East. He left Hamburg in June 1857 and did not return until late 1861 or early 1862.

7. Fedor Jagor. ‘23. Trois Annamites A’, 1857, albumen print stereoview. Author’s Collection. PAUL-EMILE BERRANGER (1815–1896)

Following Jules Itier’s departure in 1845, there is surprisingly no current evidence of photographic activity taking place in Vietnam until 1858. In that year a joint French and Spanish expedition arrived in Da Nang to punish Vietnam for the execution of two Spanish missionaries. The joint forces, under the command of the French admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly, consisted on the French side of 3000 troops and fourteen warships. The Spanish had a contingent of 300 colonial troops and one ship, brought over from the Philippines.17 Paul-Emile Berranger was commander of one of the French ships, the Mitraille, and an amateur photographer. We do not know when Berranger first started taking photographs. Throughout his naval career he exhibited a passion for scientific developments in general and their

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

18

8. Paul-Emile Berranger. Self-Portrait, c.1858, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

technical applications in particular. He was friendly with the naval officer and photographer Paul-Emile Miot, with whom he sailed on a number of occasions. One of Berranger’s daguerreotypes is illustrated (as plate 19) in the book Marines de tous les pays published by the naval surgeon and marine artist Louis Le Breton in 1853. Captioned ‘Le Napoléon, vaisseau à hélice de 90 canons et de 950 chevaux, d’après le Daguerréotype de M. Berranger Lt de Vaisseau’, it shows the French warship Napoléon in which Berranger served as a lieutenant.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

19

Paul-Emile Marie Camille Berranger was born on 14 February 1815 at Savenay in northwestern France. At school he excelled in languages and science and was fascinated by modern machinery. He decided on a career in the navy and enjoyed rapid advancement. In October 1838 Berranger was actively involved in military operations to capture the Argentine island of Martín García and was mentioned in despatches. A year later he was promoted to lieutenant and then spent the next five years on a voyage of circumnavigation, perfecting his navigational skills. In February 1848, while on board the ship Cuvier, Berranger showed bravery and leadership qualities in controlling and extinguishing a dangerous fire. For this he was decorated with the Legion of Honour (Knight). In 1852–3 Berranger navigated the Magellan, and in 1855 his mechanical skills were put to use in Paris working on classified electromagnetic experiments. His first command was in 1856 when he captained the gunboat Mitraille which, in early 1857, was sent to China where it joined a French fleet of twelve ships under the command of Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly. When France joined Britain in the war with China, the Mitraille participated in the blockade of Guangzhou and its bombardment on 28 December 1857. He took many Guangzhou riverfront photographs before and after the assault. These photographs are of great historical importance and are probably the earliest surviving paper photographs of Guangzhou. They are also the earliest known photographs of the Second Opium War.18 Early in 1858 Berranger sailed north with the British and French fleets. In May of that year he was involved in the attack on the Taku (Dagu) Forts at the entrance to the Peiho (Hai) River. After that he was ordered to join the Franco-Spanish expedition to Vietnam. The Franco-Spanish forces arrived in Da Nang harbour on 31 August 1858 and the assault began the next day. Resistance was stiffer than expected, and after five months of fierce fighting the allies controlled nothing more than a small stretch of land by the shore. It was here that photographs were taken, and twenty-three of them are in the photography collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. As yet, there is no definite proof that Berranger took any of these. However, a further

9. Paul-Emile Berranger attributed. Franco-Spanish Forces at Da Nang, 1858, albumen print. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

20

10. Paul-Emile Berranger attributed. Franco-Spanish Forces at Da Nang, 1858, albumen print. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

11. Paul-Emile Berranger attributed. ‘Fleuve de Saygon Catinat 1859’, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

21

12. Paul-Emile Berranger attributed. ‘Ton Kin Sing Saygon Cochinchine. Catinat 1859’, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

image taken at the same time and place forms part of a private collection of photographs of the 1857 attack on Guangzhou. It is titled on the mount in old French handwriting: ‘Campement dans la baie de Touran 1858’ and is initialled on the mount ‘P. B.’. It is very likely that this image is the work of Berranger.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

22

13. Disderi & Cie. Vietnamese Embassy to France, 5 November 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

Given the military stalemate at Da Nang, Rigault de Genouilly decided to switch tactics. In early February 1859, leaving one-third of his soldiers in defensive positions at Da Nang, he sailed with the rest of the forces to southern Vietnam with the aim of attacking Saigon. Berranger accompanied these forces as commander of the Catinat.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

23

The offensive opened on 10 February and on 17 February, after forcing the river defences and destroying a series of forts and stockades along the Saigon River, the French and Spanish captured the town. French marine infantry stormed the strongly fortified citadel, while Filipino troops, under Spanish command, threw back a Vietnamese counterattack. The allies were not strong enough to hold the fortress and on 8 March 1859 blew it up and set fire to its rice magazines. In April Rigault de Genouilly returned to Da Nang with the bulk of his forces to reinforce the hard-pressed garrison, leaving a Franco-Spanish garrison of around 1,000 men at Saigon. It is likely that Berranger took the two photographs illustrated here of the Saigon riverfront and the visiting Vietnamese dignitary. Note that the captions suggest that each was made from or on board the Catinat. Berranger seems to have stayed in Vietnam for most of 1859 and then returned to Paris where, from 1860 to 1863, he worked as an examination invigilator for marine mechanics. In 1861 he married Marie Desvignes at Nantes and the couple had two children. In 1863 and 1868 he was respectively commander of the ships Gomer and Neriede, and in 1869 he settled in his hometown of Savenay. He was further decorated with the rank of Legion of Honour (Officer) in 1864. In 1871 he was appointed to the post of general of the auxiliary army, entrusted with the defence of Nantes. He retired at the age of sixty and died aged eighty-one on 31 December 1896.19 Berranger’s significance for the history of photography in Vietnam is that his attributed work, illustrated in these pages, represents the earliest known paper photographs of the country, the earliest portrait of a Vietnamese in Vietnam and the first photographic view of Saigon. 1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE

Following a series of French victories, the 1862 Treaty of Saigon, signed on 5 June, obligated Vietnam to pay war reparations to France and also cede Saigon, the island of Poulo Condor and the three southern provinces of Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh and Dinh Tuong. The envoys from the Hue court were photographed in Saigon at this time, and although these images have not been discovered they appeared as engravings in a nineteenth-century French periodical.20 The Treaty of Hue, signed on 14 April 1863, confirmed the previous year’s treaty but also required the opening to France of the ports of Da Nang, Balat and Quang Yen. Freedom of missionary activity throughout Vietnam was also demanded. Of all these concessions, ceding territory to France was the most distressing to Emperor Tu Duc. In an attempt to regain these lands, an embassy consisting of seventy members was sent to Paris in 1863, led by the senior mandarin Phan Thanh Gian. Phan met with Napoleon III in November 1863 and offered an increased war indemnity if the territories were returned. Although Napoleon III initially accepted the idea, the French Cabinet threatened to resign and the agreement was cancelled in June 1864. Without knowing this, Phan had returned to Vietnam in March 1864. Despite failing in his mission, Emperor Tu Duc made Phan governor of the remaining southern provinces. However, when the French invaded these territories in 1867, Phan avoided armed resistance and committed suicide. Many photographs depicting Phan’s embassy to Europe have survived and some of these from the author’s collection are illustrated in Appendix 6. OTHER EARLY PHOTOGRAPHERS

OCTAVE DE BERMOND DE VAULX (1831–95), a French naval officer, was born on 1 April 1831 in Sisteron, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. He joined the navy in 1847, and as an ensign during the Crimean War took some calotype photographs. In 1858 he was made a

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

24

14. L’Illustration, 23 April 1864, p. 268. Engravings of photographs by Bermond de Vaulx.

Knight of the Legion of Honour and in 1861 was promoted to lieutenant. By 1872 he was captain of a frigate. Awarded the title of Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1878, a year later he was a ship-of-the-line captain. Retiring in 1885 he died on 11 July 1895.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

25

15. L’Illustration, 23 April 1864, p. 269. Engravings of photographs by Bermond de Vaulx.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

26

16. Octave de Bermond de Vaulx. ‘Cafe Lyonnais, Saigon’, 1864, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

17. Octave de Bermond de Vaulx. Anamese pagoda and hut in rue Catinat, Saigon, 1864, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

27

18. Octave de Bermond de Vaulx. ‘Bas-reliefs intérieurs dans la pagode Chinoise’, 1864, albumen print. Philippe Damas Collection.

No fewer than eight engravings of his photographs, taken in and around Saigon and Cholon, were published in the 23 April 1864 issue of the periodical L’Illustration.21 Octave most likely learned photography from his father, Jean Antoine de Bermond de Vaulx (1798–1871), who was a talented calotypist.22 JULES-FÉLIX APOLLINAIRE LE BAS (1834–75), a French naval officer and amateur photographer, arrived in Woosung (Wusong), China, in March 1864 and joined the French warship la Sémiramis, on which he would serve until leaving the Far East for his homeland in May 1865. Between March and June 1864, he photographed in Wusong and Peking (Beijing).23 After that the ship based itself at Yokohama where Le Bas had ample time to practise his photography. At the end of August 1864, Le Bas’s ship joined the Allied-French military expedition and sailed for Shimonoseki. There the allies fought and won a decisive battle against the Japanese rebel forces on 5 and 6 September 1864.24 In early 1865 la Sémiramis was in Saigon and Le Bas was able to take photographs in and around the town. We know that he photographed the recently built Maison des Messageries Impériales and that he made a panoramic view of the Saigon riverfront showing various French colonial buildings, as these were reproduced as engravings in the 1 July 1865 issue of Le Monde Illustré (p. 8). Le Bas may also have photographed the image shown here of the French naval officer Touboulic and an unidentified local official (Quam-Bo). Le Bas was the only son of Jean-Baptiste Apollinaire Le Bas, an engineer, and Agathe-Louise Colluire. The couple also had two daughters. Born in Paris on 10 December 1834, he entered the navy on 1 October 1854 and reached the rank of lieutenant in 1863. In 1864 he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour and by 1868 was a commander of the same order. He contracted chronic bronchitis in May 1874 and died in Paris, a bachelor, on 12 March 1875.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

28

19. Jules Le Bas attributed. ‘Touboulic – Le qüam-bô de Gya-din [Saigon] Semiramis à Saigon’, c.1865, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

20. Le Monde Illustré, 1 July 1865. Engravings of Le Bas’s photographs, top right and bottom. The other image is from a Gillet photograph.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

29

21. Jules Le Bas. ‘Maison des Messageries Impériales’, 1865, albumen print. Private Collection.

Several albums of his photographic work in the Far East in 1864–5 survive. Whether he continued with photography after returning to France is not known. Collections of his photography in China, Japan and Vietnam are held by the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, and the Musée Guimet, Paris, and, privately by a descendant, Guillaume Garnier, and other members of the family.25

22. Advertisement placed by August Sachtler in Courrier de Saigon, 5 November 1866.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

30

23. Advertisement placed by August Sachtler in Courrier de Saigon, 5 August 1866.

24. August Sachtler. Vietnamese official, c.1866, taken in the Gsell studio, Saigon, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

31

25. Reverse of Fig. 24.

AUGUST SACHTLER (?–1874) was a German naval telegrapher and assistant photographer with the Prussian East Asian Expedition that visited the Far East in 1861. Sachtler took many photographs in China and Japan during this time. After his discharge from the navy, Sachtler opened, in 1863, a commercial studio in Singapore which operated until his death in 1873. He visited Vietnam, possibly for the first time, on 3 August 1866. Advertising in the Courrier de Saigon on 5 August, Sachtler announced that he would stay for just two months and in the meantime welcome customers to his portrait studio where he could also offer views of Borneo, Siam, Penang and Singapore. But in the 5 November issue of the Courrier de Saigon, he announced that he would stay a further four weeks and would operate out of Émile Gsell’s new studio with whom he was no doubt on friendly terms. The same advertisement is repeated until 5 December and it is not clear exactly when he left Saigon. Very little of his work in Vietnam has been identified.

26. August Sachtler attributed. View of Saigon, c.1866–7, albumen print. Numbered ‘118’ on reverse. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

32

27. August Sachtler attributed. Saigon River, c.1866–7, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

28. August Sachtler attributed. Saigon River, c.1866–7, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

33

29. John Thomson. Young Saigon Woman, c.1867–8, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

34

30. John Thomson. An Anamese chief and his son, c.1867–8, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

35

31. John Thomson. River Scene in Cochinchina, c.1867–8, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

36

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

37

JOHN THOMSON (1837–1921), the celebrated nineteenth-century photographer of Asia, visited and worked in Saigon and Cholon for three months from December 1867 to February 1868.26 Born in Edinburgh on 14 June 1837, Thomson came from a respectable, if not a wealthy family. His father was a tobacconist. In 1851 Thomson was apprenticed to a local optician and scientific instrument maker. He made good progress, and towards the end of his apprenticeship attended evening classes at the well-regarded Watt Institution and School of Arts which awarded him its ‘Life Diploma’ in 1858. Thomson was well positioned to pursue a career in the optical and scientific instrument trade in his native city. Instead, he decided to leave Scotland in April 1862 for Singapore, to join his elder brother William, who had set himself up there as a watchmaker. Immediately on arrival, he set up a photo studio. It is likely that he learned photography back home in Edinburgh.

32. John Thomson. Saigon street showing Roustan & Salenave wine sellers & Vuillermoz watchmakers, c.1867–8, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

In addition to offering portrait facilities, Thomson photographed scenes in Singapore, Penang and elsewhere in the region. In late 1865 he travelled to Thailand and the following year Cambodia. At the time of his visit to Vietnam, he already had an established commercial studio in Singapore and had recently published an acclaimed work on the ruins of Angkor Wat. His photographs of the site are believed to be the first ever made.27

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

38

33. John Thomson. Young Anamese girl, c.1867–8, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

39

34. John Thomson. Country scene, Cochinchina, c.1867–8, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

35. John Thomson. Anamese tombs, Cochinchina, c.1867–8, albumen print. Serge Kakou Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

40

Given the French interest in Cambodia, perhaps Thomson had hoped to find a ready market in Saigon for his Angkor pictures and book. However, the novelty of these photographs had probably worn off since the resident French photographer, Émile Gsell, had also shot the site just a few months after Thomson and the Frenchman’s pictures of the ruins were already on sale in Saigon, together with his portraits of the royal family and other Cambodian scenes. It seems that Thomson did not travel outside of Saigon. Not being French, he probably lacked the necessary permissions and contacts to do so. Nevertheless, Thomson was able to add to his existing portfolio of Asian scenes and portraits. In any case, he had already made plans to move his business to Hong Kong, and perhaps Saigon was nothing more than a planned vacation. It would be in Hong Kong that his burgeoning reputation would be sealed, using the British colony as a base for his extensive photographic tours around China. He also published some of his Vietnam photographs in the local periodical The China Magazine.28 WILHELM BURGER (1844–1920), en route from Singapore to Hong Kong, spent just two days in Saigon, from 24 to 26 May 1869. He was one of the most artistic and technically accomplished European photographers and had been attached as official photographer to the Austro-Hungarian mission to Siam (Thailand), China, Japan and South America in1868–71. It is a pity, therefore, that he was not able to use his camera in Vietnam due to lack of time and poor weather.29 Instead, he purchased a group of negatives from ‘a wealthy Annamite’ and these have subsequently appeared in publications, erroneously credited as the work of Burger. It is very likely that Burger visited Émile Gsell’s studio, where he also purchased negatives since surviving images appear to have been taken in that studio.30

36. ‘Saigon woman’, c.1869, albumen print stereoview published by W. Burger but likely from a Gsell negative. Philippe Damas Collection.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

41

NOTES 1

2

3

4

5 6 7

8 9

10

11

12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21

22

23

24 25

26

27

28

Jules Itier (ed. Michel Boye), Journal de voyage au Sénégal et en Guyane (1842–1843), Bordeaux: Academie Montesquieu, 1999. These included the Société Géologique de France and Congrès Scientifique de Lyon, Société des Sciences et des Arts de Paris, and Société de Statistique de L’Isère (see ‘Alphonse Eugène Jules Itier 1802–1877’, Revista de Cultura, Macau, no. 11–12, July–December 1990, pp. 82–96). Gilbert Gimon, ‘Jules Itier, Daguerreotypist’, History of Photography, vol. 5, no. 3, 3 July 1981, pp. 225– 44; Gilbert Gimon, ‘Jules Itier’, Prestige de la photographie, 9 April 1980, pp. 6–31. Jules Itier, Journal d’un voyage en Chine en 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 3 vols., Paris: Chez Dauvin et Fontaine, 1848–53. Terry Bennett, History of Photography in China 1842–1860, London: Quaritch, 2009, p. 3. See the museum’s exhibition catalogue, ‘Jules Itier, premières photographies de la Chine, 1844’, 2014. Oscar Chapuis, The Last Emperors of Vietnam: From Tu Duc to Bao Dai, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000, p. 5. Translated by Gimon in ‘Jules Itier, Daguerreotypist’, p. 237. Gilles Massot, ‘Jules Itier and the Lagrené Mission’, in History of Photography, vol. 39, pt. 4, 2015, pp. 319–47. H. Cosserat, ‘La première photographie d’un site Conchinchinois: Le Fort de Non-Nay’, in Bulletin des Amis du Vieux, Hué, vol. 14, nos. 3–4, July–December 1927. Charles Lavollée, ‘Les voyages en Chine. M. J. Itier – M. de Ferrière Le Vayer’, L’Illustration, 22 July 1854, pp. 59–60. Mark W. McLeod, The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention 1862–1874, New York: Praeger, 1991, pp. 41–59. Itier, Journal d’un voyage en Chine, vol. 3, p. 139. Lavollée, ‘Les voyages en Chine’, pp. 59–60. Massot, ‘Jules Itier and the Lagrené Mission’, pp. 319–47. John Wood, The Scenic Daguerreotype: Romanticism and Early Photography, University of Iowa Press, 1995, p. 42. Bennett, History of Photography in China 1842–1860, pp. 90–3. Ibid. I am grateful to Serge Plantureux for sharing with me his research notes on the life of Berranger. L’Illustration, 29 November 1862. Between the private collections of Philippe Damas and Serge Kakou, seven of the eight images shown have survived as original prints. For Jean Antoine, see Sylvie Aubenas and Paul–Louis Robert (eds.), Primitifs de la photographie: Le calotype en France (1843–1860), catalogue for the exhibition held at the Bibliotèque nationale, Paris, 19 October 2010–16 January 2011; for both Jean Antoine and Octave, see website: http://www.vintageworks.net/ exhibit/detail.php/68/1/1/0/26759 (consulted April 2017); for Octave, see website: http://www.culture. gouv.fr/LH/LH015/PG/FRDAFAN83_OL0193024v001.htm (consulted April 2017); the family tree is given here: http://gw.geneanet.org/pierfit?lang=fr&p=octave&n=de+bermond+de+vaulx (consulted April 2017). Terry Bennett, History of Photography in China: Western Photographers 1861–1879, London: Quaritch, 2010, pp. 207–9. Terry Bennett, Photography in Japan 1853–1912, Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 2006, pp. 120–3. I am grateful to Mr Guillaume Garnier for sharing his comprehensive research notes on the Le Bas family. References to Le Bas can also be found in Christian Polak, ‘Les premiers photographes Français au Japon avant la Restauration Meiji de 1868’, in France Japon Eco, no. 107, Summer 2006, p. 66; and ‘Profession Photographe!’ in France Japon Eco, no. 108, Autumn 2006, p. 73. The 20 December 1867 issue of the Courrier de Saigon records the arrival of ‘Thompson [sic], photographe’ on board the Tigre but does not specify the exact date. The same newspaper of 5 March 1868 records Thomson’s departure for Hong Kong on 28 February 1868 on board the Hoogly. John Thomson, The Antiquities of Cambodia, Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, 1867. This publication, illustrated with original pasted-in photographs, and therefore expensive to compile, must have appeared as a very small print run, perhaps as few as fifty copies. There is no shortage of books and articles covering the life of Thomson. For his life in general, see Richard Ovenden, John Thomson (1837–1921): Photographer, Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, 1997; John Thomson, The Straits of Malacca Indo-China and China, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 1875; Stephen White, John Thomson: A Window to the Orient, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. For his time in East and Southeast Asia, see Bennett, History of Photography in China: Western Photographers 1861–1879; C. Langdon Davies (ed.), The China Magazine, 4 vols, Hong Kong, 1868–70; Jim Mizerski, Cambodia Captured: Angkor’s First Photographers in 1860’s Colonial Intrigues, Phnom Penh: Jasmine Image Machine, 2016; Joel Montague and Jim Mizerski, John Thomson: The Early Years – In Search of the Orient, Bangkok: White Lotus, 2014; John Thomson, Dix ans de voyages dans la Chine et l’Indo-Chine, Paris: Librairie Hachette et Cie, 1877.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

42

29

30

Alfred Moser, ᫂἞ึᮇ᪥ᮏࡢ㢼ᬒ࡜ㅦࡢᑡᖺ⪅෗┿ᐙ [Scenery of Early Meiji Japan and the Mysterious Boy Photographer], Tokyo: Yosensha, 2016, pp. 42–3. The source is the diary of Burger’s assistant, Michael Moser, kept in the Moser family archives in Vienna. See Gert Rosenberg, Wilhelm Burger: Ein Welt-und Forschungsreisender mit der Kamera, 1844–1920, Vienna: Christian Brandstatter, 1984, pp. 72–5. The photograph of a boy eating rice (p. 75) is a close variant of one known to be taken by Gsell.

THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAM AND THE VIETNAMESE

43

CHAPTER 2

Commercial Studios (1860s–1870s) a

T

he first commercial studios in Vietnam opened in Saigon, the centre of French rule in Cochinchina, shortly after the ending of the 1858–62 war. From early 1863, an increasing number of French and other foreign traders were establishing themselves in Saigon. With a significant military presence, together with growing numbers of missionaries and diplomatic personnel, there were sufficient potential customers to ensure that it was just a matter of time before an enterprising professional photographer would take the commercial risk of opening a studio. Succeeding as a commercial photographer in nineteenth-century Asia was not easy. Adequate financial resources would be necessary to cover the high costs of maintaining suitable equipment, chemicals and premises. But that would not be enough. A considerable talent was essential, as was personality, marketing flair and business acumen. Being well-connected to the military was a decided advantage, as was having good relations with the various missionary orders and colonial administrators. Of those who had opened studios in Vietnam in the 1860s, the only ones to survive into the 1870s, as far as we can tell from the current state of research, were Émile Gsell, Pun Lun and Dang Huy Tru

1. Clément Gillet. Earliest known studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 10 April 1864.

2. Clément Gillet. Studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 25 July 1864.

3. Clément Gillet. ‘Femme Annamite’, c.1864–7, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection. 4. Reverse of 3.

5. Clément Gillet. Boy Chinois, c.1864–7, albumen print carte de visite. Serge Kakou Collection. 6. Reverse of 5.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

45

Gsell is likely to have enjoyed patronage from the military. Pun Lun no doubt benefited from the existence of a large Chinese community in nearby Cholon and the willingness and ability to compete with Gsell on price. Dang had very close connections with the Vietnamese court officials and higher classes. Others were not so fortunate, and would soon move on to other fields or leave the country. Émile Gsell, the subject of Chapter 3, is the most famous of the early commercial photographers, but first we will consider his contemporaries, both foreign and Vietnamese. CLÉMENT GILLET (fl. 1863–1867)

Although we know very little about Clément Gillet, it looks as though he opened the first commercial studio in Vietnam in 1863.1 His studio is mentioned, probably for the first time, in the 10 April 1864 issue of the Courrier de Saigon. The newspaper then carried intermittent advertisements of his studio at rue Catinet until 20 June 1865. Interestingly, they indicate him as being an ex-photographer to the War Ministry in Paris. The 5 June 1865 issue refers to his impending departure from Saigon for an unknown destination, and his return is announced in the 5 July 1865 issue. The Annuaire de la Cochinchine for 1866 and 1867 referred to him as photographe and photographe du gouvernement respectively. He appears to have finally left the colony in 1866 or 1867. An engraving of his photograph of King Norodom of Cambodia appears on the front page of Le Monde Illustré, 17 December 1864. It illustrates what is probably the first photograph of the king, pictured on his first visit to Saigon. The king sat for his portrait on 26 October 1864, according to the journal. The 1 April 1865 issue of Le Monde Illustré carried an illustration of a Gillet photograph of a Chinese pagoda in Cholon, now

7. Clément Gillet. ‘Chinese Pagoda, Cholon, Saigon’, engraving of a photograph, Le Monde Illustré, 1 April 1865.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

46

8. Clément Gillet. King of Cambodia, 1864, albumen print carte de visite. Serge Kakou Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

47

9. Reverse of 8.

10. Clément Gillet. Young Vietnamese, c.1864–7, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

11. Clément Gillet. Young Woman, c.1864–7, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

12. Clément Gillet. Young Woman, c.1864–7, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

48

13. Clément Gillet. ‘Panorama de la ville chinoise de Cho-leu [Cholon, Saigon]’, engraving of a photograph, Le Monde Illustré, 1 July 1865.

part of Saigon. Another engraving of a Gillet photograph appeared in the 1 July 1865 (p. 8) issue of the same periodical, showing a view of the Chinese district of Cholon. In the author’s collection is a carte de visite of a young Vietnamese woman, with an old inscription, ‘Gillet phot. Saigon’ written on the reverse. If Gillet had the status of an official or semi-official photographer to the Saigon-based French authorities, he might well have had opportunities to photograph in otherwise inaccessible regions, notably if he accompanied the military when they were on operations. There are some currently unidentified photographs from the early 1860s which may turn out, after further research, to be the work of this photographer. CHARLES PARANT (fl. 1864)

Charles Parant seems to have been something of an itinerant photographer. In her online website, Degroise mentions his having a studio in Paris and practising photography in Mauritius in July 1859. He is then in partnership with Frédéric Rondeau in Réunion Island in 1860 and 1861 before moving to Batavia in 1862, according to Theuns-de Boer and Asser.2 It is likely he moved to Saigon in 1864 as his studio is advertised in the 25 May issue of the Courrier de Saigon and then continuously until 5 November, although it is described as a painting studio (Atelier De Peinture En Tous Genres) from 5 October onwards. According to the ships’ passenger lists in the 5 December 1864 issue of the Courrier de Saigon, he left the colony on 28 November on the l’Alphée and may not have returned, although the Annuaire de la Cochinchine mentions his studio in its 1865 edition.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

49

14. Charles Parant. Studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 25 May 1864.

15. Charles Parant. Studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 5 October 1864.

His signature appears on an 1864 print of a floating dry dock under construction in Saigon. This image, shown in these pages, is reproduced in Franchini and Ghesquière’s Des photographes en Indochine (2001, p. 106). Construction of the dock began in January 1864 and finished in May 1866. This view seems to be the only Parant photograph so far identified. In 1870 Parant was working as a photographer in Japan, first in Kobe and then in Osaka the following year (see the author’s Photography in Japan 1853–1912 (2006, p. 160)). There is no known record of his movements after he left Japan in 1871. PUN LUN (fl. 1867–1872)

The main Pun Lun studio operated in Hong Kong from 1864 until the early twentieth century and, as its longevity suggests, was very successful.3 It first advertised its services in the Hongkong Daily Press on 8 September 1864, shortly after its opening: PUN LUN. PHOTOGRAPHER, Queen’s Road, No. 58 Opposite the ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION. Takes Portraits, Groups, &c., in best style, also keeps constantly on hand the views of Hongkong, Canton, Honam and other Ports of China, And, Silks, Crapes, Ivory-ware Lacquered-ware, Matting, &c., &c., on moderate terms. Hongkong, 2nd September, 1864.

16. Charles Parant. Studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 10 July 1864.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

50

17. Charles Parant. Construction of Floating Dock, Saigon, May 1864, albumen print. Centre des archives d’outremer Collection [4fi/583]

Then a curious notice, published in the Hongkong Daily Press on 16 September 1865, indicated that the partners of the studio had quarrelled and decided to go their separate ways. It seems that one of the partners, Wan Chik Hing, left the business after an argument over money with Wan Leong Hoi, who may have been his brother: NOTICE THE PHOTOGRAPHICAL business in the upper Storey of Punlun No. 56 Queen’s Road, was carried on by Wan-chik-hing and Wanleong-hoi from the 7th Moon of the 3rd year of Tungchi [August/September 1864] until the 7th Moon of this year, when on settling accounts, it was found that Wanchik-hing has overspent, he is willing to give up his share of the above business, which will in future be carried on by Wanleong-hoy only, and whether the said business should be successful or failing, it shall be nothing to Wan-chikhing, and if Wan-chik-hing has or will incur any debts, it shall also be nothing to Wan-leung-hoi. Hongkong, 14th September 1865. It does seem likely that the two Wans were related and although we do not know whether they continued some future business co-operation, studios of the same name appeared in Saigon, Fuzhou (China) and Singapore. It is possible that when Wan Chik Hing left the Hong Kong business he opened studios in Singapore and subsequently Saigon. Pun Lun’s Saigon studio advertised for the first time in the Courrier de Saigon on 20 May 1867. The advert referred to an opening date of 1 June 1867 and also referenced

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

51

its connection to Hong Kong. This branch of Pun Lun’s Hong Kong business operated for several years, from 7 rue Charner, and was the primary competitor to Émile Gsell, whose studio was opposite. It may be that there was some form of co-operation between the two studios since some Pun Lun images are apparently from earlier Gsell negatives. Although Pun Lun published some larger format works, the studio seems to have specialized in producing cartes de visite. The printed backs of these cards make the Hong Kong connection explicit: Pun-Lun, Photographer. From Hong Kong. Saigon. The last mention of Pun Lun appears in the 1872 edition of the Annuaire de la Cochinchine. The studio’s activities after that date are unknown.

18. Pun Lun. Chinese Traders in Saigon, 1870s, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s collection.

19. Pun Lun. Vietnamese official, c.1867–1872, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

20. Pun Lun. First studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 20 May 1867.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

52

21. Pun Lun. Advertisement, Hongkong Daily Press, 8 September 1864.

22. Dang Huy Tru. Portrait painting of Vietnam’s first commercial photographer.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

53

DANG HUY TRU (1825–1874)

The first commercial Vietnamese photographer may well have been Dang Huy Tru, who opened his studio in March 1869 in Hanoi under the name ‘Cam Hieu Duong Photography Shop’. According to Degroise, Hoang Ke Viem assisted Dang.4 Dang, a senior administrator at the royal court and a Confucian scholar, held a number of important positions and at one time was put in charge of trade with the Chinese province of Guangdong. He is said to have learned photography during an 1867 visit to Hong Kong. When the French seized Hanoi in 1873, he photographed their arrival. At the same time, he was ordered to set up a base of resistance in the surrounding uplands. He died of illness the following year and none of his photographs has so far been discovered.5 PUN KY (fl. 1870)

Pun Ky may have been a native Vietnamese studio but a Chinese connection cannot be ruled out. The studio was almost certainly located in Saigon or Cholon but this is only surmised from the contents of the photographs produced, which have a preponderance of Saigon scenes. Nothing is known about the studio’s activities and research to date has not uncovered any advertisements. It did produce a significant number of cartes de visite photographs, a format in which it seemed to specialize, but the quality of printing is generally poor. As with the case of Pun Lun, the author has seen several examples of images which were previously published by Gsell. It is not known whether these were pirated or reproduced under some commercial arrangement. The studio’s cartes were taken in the late 1860s to early 1870s judging by their appearance, and no larger-format photographs have so far been identified. Given the name similarity and the fact that the studio seems to have started around the time that Pun Lun’s finished, it is possible that there was a connection between the two studios. Some of the studio props are

23. Pun Ky. Vietnamese leopard, 1870s, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

54

very similar, and it may be that Pun Ky was the successor studio. It does not seem to have operated beyond the 1870s. One intriguing carte de visite is of the French ship Le Fleurus arriving at Saigon, which indicates that the studio may have been in operation from as early as 1868 (see Appendix 5, ref: A122).

24. Pun Ky. ‘Chef Interprete professeur au college de Saigon’, 1870s, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

55

LOUIS AUGUSTE GUSTAVE JUGANT (1840–1880)

Louis Auguste Gustave Jugant was the principal photographer attached to the French arsenal at Saigon in the late 1870s. He was born on 12 July 1840 at Lormaison, Oise, in northern France. His father, Jacques-Philippe, was a man of independent means. When Jugant married Célina Barré on 25 January 1862 at Lardières, Oise, he was working as a farmer. The couple had a son, Louis-Auguste, who was born later that year. At some stage Jugant changed careers and ended up at the arsenal in Saigon. It was there that he contracted an unknown disease. It is likely that he was sent home to recuperate but on reaching Toulon harbour he died on board the ship Tonkin on 19 October 1880. Examples of his work, signed in the negative, can be found in an album in the author’s collection titled ‘Vues De Saïgon (Ref: IND-A-100)’. It contains a mixture of Gsell’s and Jugant’s photographs, with Jugant’s focused mainly on government buildings.6

25. Louis Jugant. ‘Couvent de carmélites’, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection. NOÉMIE ARY-JOUANNE (fl. 1877–1881)

Born Noémie-Célina Mizelle on 2 May 1844 at Barberey St Sulpice, north–central France, Mme Ary-Jouanne seems to have led an eventful life. Her significance for us is that she appears to have been the first female commercial photographer in Vietnam. She announced the opening of her studio in the 5 March 1877 issue of the Courrier de Saigon. The advertisement was repeated on 20 March, and in both cases the Saigon address given was the rue Rigault de Genouilly, Maison de la Mission. In the Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1878 and 1879, the address listed is rue de Yokohama. According to Degroise, the studio was initially run by her and her artist husband, Charles Jouanne, but by 1881 she was operating alone. Approximately fourteen c.1877 small-format photographs of Cambodian royalty and countryside appear in an album formerly belong-

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

56

26. Louis Jugant. ‘Palais. Vue prise du boulevard Norodom’, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ing to Jean Moura (1827–85), the chief administrator of the French protectorate of Cambodia between 1868 and 1879, and these seem to make her the first female photographer in Cambodia. Her access to Cambodian royalty and the inclusion of her work in the collection of the erudite Moura suggests that her photography was not without merit.7 Noémie did not come from a privileged background. Her birth certificate shows that her father was an agricultural labourer. Although not married at the time, Noémie had a son who was stillborn on 29 January 1863 in Dunkirk. She also had a daughter, Aline Blanche Henriette, who was born in Dunkirk on 14 August 1868 but died a few days later, on 24 August. Charles Jouanne, who was living with Noémie, declared he was the father in both death certificates. His occupation was shown as an artist in 1863 and a photographer in 1868. Sometime between 1868 and 1870 Noémie and Charles were married. They had another daughter, Aline Henriette Marguerite, who was born on 23 July 1870, also in Dunkirk. Her birth document stated that her parents had married in London. Aline died on 24 April 1877 in Saigon. Charles Jouanne was born in Bayeux, northwestern France on 15 December 1826. His birth document shows that his father, Jean-Philippe Jouanne, received a military pension. Charles probably died around 1880. It is not clear why Noémie used ‘Ary’ in her Saigon studio advertisement in 1877. We are not sure about Noémie’s movements after the death of her husband. However, in 1885 a Noémie Mizelle was living in Nevers, central France, with Jules Joseph Antoine Coste, a photographer, born in 1847 in Havre. They had a daughter together, Blanche Georgette Emma, who was born at Nevers on 7 March 1885. Although Noémie is shown as having no occupation at that time, the 1891 town census records a Céline Mizelle as being a female photographer working in Bourbon l’Archambault, which is close to Nevers. She is living with her photographer husband Jules Coste and

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

57

daughter Blanche. The town census for 1901 shows a female photographer named Marie Mizelle. Spencer (fl. 1872). Nothing is currently known about this short-lived studio, which advertised in the 1872 edition of the Annuaire de la Cochinchine. ‘Spencer, Photographe, Rues Catinat Et Vannier’. Truong Van San (fl. 1878) was a professional Vietnamese photographer at Hue who trained in France, according to Degroise. None of his photographs have yet been discovered.

27. Mme. Ary-Jouanne announcing the opening of her Saigon studio, Courrier de Saigon, 5 March 1877.

28. Mme. Ary-Jouanne. Cambodian Princess, 1870s, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

58

29. Anonymous. The Maison Centrale jailhouse, Saigon, after a typhoon or fire, c.1875–85, albumen print. Author’s Collection. NOTES 1

2

3

4 5 6

7

Marie-Hélène Degroise, website: Photographes d’Asie (1840–1944), http://photographesenoutremerasie. blogspot.de/ (accessed April 2017). Gillet’s full name and profession as a photographer are mentioned in a formal Saigon document dated 21 December 1863 in which he signs as a witness to the official death record of a French woman, Mme Élisabeth Lachambre (ANOM, État civil, Vietnam, Saïgon, 1863). He is recorded in the document as being thirty-three years old. Gerda Theuns-de Boer and Saskia Asser (eds.), Isidore van Kinsbergen (1821–1905): Photo Pioneer and Theatre Maker in the Dutch East Indies, Leiden: KITLV Press, 2005. Terry Bennett, History of Photography in China: Chinese Photographers 1844–1879, London: Quaritch, 2013, pp. 100–6). Degroise, website. https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%B7ng_Huy_Tr%E1%BB%A9 (accessed April 2017). There is a brief reference to Jugant in Dr. A. Corre, ‘Rapport sur les objects de l’age de la Pierre Polie et du bronze recueillis a Som-Ron-Sen (Cambodge)’, in Cochinchine Francaise: Excursions et Reconnaissances, No.1, Saigon: Imprimiere Du Gouvernement/Paris: Chez Challamel, 5 Rue Jacob, 1880, pp. 95–126. In a note on page 125 Corre mentions ‘Note annexe sur des instruments en pierre polie et en bronze, trouvés aux environs de Saigon et recueillis par M. Jugant, photographe à l’arsenal … Jugant, photographe à l’arsenal, a eu l’obligeance de me confier 13 instruments réunis par lui, et provenant de diverses localités, aux environs de Saigon.’ [Additional note on polished stone and bronze instruments found in the vicinity of Saigon and collected by Mr. Jugant, a photographer in the arsenal … Jugant, photographer in the arsenal, had the kindness to entrust me with 13 instruments gathered by him, and coming from various localities, in the neighbourhood of Saigon.] Titled ‘Album Supplémentaire’, the album contains a selection of Cambodia-related engravings, photographs and drawings, including some photographs by Mme Ary-Jouanne, and is in the author’s collection, Ref: IND-GR-132-1b.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1860s–1870s)

59

CHAPTER 3

Émile Gsell (1838–1879): Celebrated Photographer of Nineteenth-Century Vietnam a

O

f the early photographers in Vietnam, Émile Gsell is by far the most significant. His Saigon studio was in operation from 1866, at the latest, and continued until his death in 1879. Skilled in landscape, portraiture, genre and architectural photography, his work is the benchmark by which other photographers in the region have come to be measured. Unfortunately, we know very little about his life. Émile was born into a Protestant family in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in the Upper Rhine on 31 December 1838. After his younger brother Charles was born on 15 October 1840, the family moved to Paris and lived at rue du Temple. Gsell senior, also named Émile, was a printer and carried out his trade in the capital. The 1846 census listed the family as living at 80 rue Bonaparte. In around 1858 Émile enlisted in the army for seven years. In 1861 the French military offered training in the techniques of photography and it is very likely that Gsell learned the art during his military service.1 Searches in the military archives have so far failed to uncover any details of his military career. However, it seems likely that he served in Cochinchina with the French expeditionary forces and that when he left the army in 1865 or early 1866 he decided to stay in Saigon and open a photo studio. Ernest Doudart de Lagrée (1823–68), who had agreed to lead the French Mekong Expedition, decided in early 1866 to take along a photographer and enlisted Gsell. We know this from the official account of the expedition written in 1873 by Francis Garnier.2 Included in the itinerary was a visit to the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Doudart de Lagrée had visited the ruins twice before, the last time in March 1866. At that time, he met the British photographer John Thomson, who was capturing the first ever photographs of the site. It is very likely that this meeting inspired Doudart de Lagrée to take Gsell with him on his third visit. Gsell photographed the ruins between 24 June and 1 July 1866. The expedition members then returned to Phnom Penh where they stayed until 7 July before moving on to study the Wat Phu ruins at Bassac, Laos. Gsell does not appear to have accompanied them. In any case, he would have been anxious to return to Saigon to market his Angkor photographs. It is not clear whether his Saigon studio was opened before his trip to Cambodia or shortly after his return. In the 20 September 1866 issue of the Courrier de Saigon, he advertised the sale of his Angkor photographs from his studio at rue Rigault de

Genouilly. This studio advertisement may well have been his first. It seems that Gsell was the first to offer to the market photographs of the Angkor ruins. In contrast, although John Thomson had photographed the ruins four months earlier, he did not make any immediate attempt to publish his prints or allow them to appear in books or periodicals. Thomson left the Angkor site in late March and after short stays in Phnom Penh, Bangkok and Singapore returned home to Great Britain with his negatives, probably arriving in late June 1866. He was keen to produce a book on his expedition and also bolster his reputation by submitting a paper to the Royal Geographic Society, which he did on 17 August 1866.3 In November 1866 he was elected a fellow of the Society. His book, The Antiquities of Cambodia, was published in 1867. Given the importance and novelty of the photographs, it is slightly surprising that Gsell did not publish his Angkor pictures a few weeks earlier than he did. Perhaps he needed to await permission from the French colonial authorities who had, after all, financed the expedition. The earliest surviving Gsell album that we can date with confidence contains views and portraits taken in Vietnam and Cambodia. It was presented in 1867 to Empress Eugénie by the minister of the Navy, Admiral Rigault de Genouilly. It contains some fifteen of Gsell’s Angkor views and it is very likely that these were taken in June 1866.4 Given that Gsell was at the site for just a few days, it is possible that these represented all or most of the useable negatives available.5 Included in the album are portraits of the Cambodian royal family, including one of King Norodom in military uniform. Gsell would have had the opportunity to take these portraits in the few days he spent in Phnom Penh before the expedition set off for Angkor or immediately after they returned to the capital at the beginning of July. These portraits appear in Gsell albums from the late 1860s and early 1870s, together with his Angkor views. They are also seen in an advertising collage of Gsell’s early cartes de visite first offered by the studio in 1866 or 1867. Gsell revisited Phnom Penh, and possibly Angkor, sometime in 1867 as we can see from an advertisement placed by the Gsell studio in the 20 October 1867 issue of the Courrier de Saigon. It makes clear that the photographer had just returned from Cambodia with fresh views and portraits. It is also possible that on this occasion he visited Angkor for the second time and added to his portfolio of the site’s ruins. Further research is required to determine more precisely Gsell’s movements at this juncture. By July 1867 Gsell was sufficiently successful to be able to lend money to a local merchant. He was able to lend to another merchant in March 1869. In August 1869 he bought outright the land and property on which his studio was located at rue Rigault de Genouilly (see Gsell chronology below). The Franco-Prussian War (1870–1) resulted in the defeat of France and one consequence was that Gsell’s birthplace became German territory. Along with many other French nationals, Gsell elected to retain his French citizenship and signed the Déclarations de Citoyenneté, Alsace-Lorraine, 1872 (Collection des Optants) on 16 September 1872. This declaration confirmed his date and place of birth, his unmarried status and Saigon as his home. Gsell’s movements at this time are hard to trace. This document is a rare exception.6 Over the next few years Gsell produced an exceptional body of work documenting the people and places of Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1873 he submitted two albums to the Vienna International Exhibition and received the medal of merit. One album contained his photographs of Angkor Wat and the other consisted of views and portraits of the people of Vietnam and Cambodia.7 Gsell followed this up by being awarded a silver medal at the 1874 Saigon Exhibition and a bronze medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris.8

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

61

In the late 1860s and early 1870s it is likely that Gsell made regular trips to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh as a visiting professional photographer to supplement his Saigon studio earnings. The number of French officials, merchants and missionaries in Phnom Penh was slowly increasing and it is likely that his relations there with the royal court and nobility were amicable. The attraction of Angkor Wat to visiting foreigners, especially diplomats, would also afford him occasional invitations to accompany any expeditions as a cameraman and perhaps guide.9 We have direct evidence of this contained in a recently discovered letter, dated 26 July 1871, sent from Saigon by the governor of Cochinchina, Marie Jules Dupré, and addressed to Jean Moura, the French representative in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In this letter Dupré refers to his forthcoming trip to Angkor Wat and states that he will be bringing Gsell along.10 In early 1873 Gsell asked to accompany Louis Delaporte, the French naval officer, artist and explorer, to Angkor. Delaporte had visited the site with Gsell and Doudart de Lagrée in 1866 and was heading up an impending follow-up expedition. It had been assumed, until recently, that Gsell’s request had been granted. However, recent research has thrown doubt on this.11 From 4 to 24 April 1875 Gsell is absent from Saigon on a diplomatic mission led by Charles Paul Brossard de Corbigny to the Vietnamese capital, Hue. The court in Hue refused Gsell permission to use his camera, but no doubt some photographs were taken outside the immediate vicinity of the palace. Indeed, the account written in 1878 by Jules Marcel Brossard de Corbigny, younger brother of Charles, contains engravings made from photographs which are very likely to be Gsell’s.12 Gsell accompanied Lieutenant Alexander Le Jumeau de Kergaradec (1841– 1894), the French consul at Hanoi, on an ascent of the Red River between November 1876 and January 1877. The journey, from Hanoi to Lao Cai, lasted forty days and gave Gsell numerous opportunities for photographing northern Vietnam.13 We have a rare sighting of Gsell on 15 June 1878 when he embarked on the steamship Sindh heading for France. The trip may well have been related to the exhibition of his photographs at the International Exhibition of 1878, held in Paris from May to November of that year, which further enhanced his reputation.14 At the height of his fame and popularity, Gsell passed away at his home on the rue Rigault de Genuoilly, Saigon, on 16 October 1879.15 He was a bachelor, with no family members living in the colony. His property passed to his parents, Émile and Catherine, his brother Charles and sister Adèle, all living in Paris. O. Wegener, a photographer, about whom we currently know nothing, acquired his studio and stock. It is likely that Wegener made the purchase directly from the Gsell family or perhaps in an auction at Saigon.16 No obituary seems to have appeared in the French newspapers at Saigon. Instead, the following short death notice was placed in the 1 November 1879 issue of the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française (p. 111): Le sieur Gsell (Émile), photographe à Saigon, est décédé dans cette ville le 16 octobre 1879. Sa succession a été appréhendée par la curatelle aux biens vacants. Les créanciers et les débiteurs de cette succession sont invités à produire leurs titres ou à se libérer dans le délai d’un mois à compter du 1er novembre 1879.17 The enduring popularity of his work is attested to by the number of surviving albums and prints to be found in various institutional and private collections around the world.18

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

62

ÉMILE GSELL CHRONOLOGY

1838 31 December Émile Gsell is born in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Haut-Rhin. 1840 15 October Gsell’s brother Charles is born. 1846 This year at the latest The Gsell family has moved to Paris (80 rue Bonaparte) where Émile’s father operates a printing business. 1858 Around this time Gsell enlists in the army for seven years. 1866 May or June Members and advocates of the Mekong Expedition are photographed at Cholon before leaving Saigon. This group portrait is likely to be the work of Gsell and represents a very early surviving photo: (https://tinyurl.com/yb7r9n5y) 5 June Gsell leaves Saigon with the Mekong Expedition. 24 June Gsell arrives at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. 1 July Gsell leaves Angkor Wat after taking around twenty photos. 20 September In the Courrier de Saigon Gsell advertises, apparently for the first time, his Saigon studio at rue Rigault de Genouilly and offers views of the Angkor Wat ruins. 5 November August Sachtler announces in the Courrier de Saigon that he will operate out of Émile Gsell’s new studio for four weeks. This year Gsell leaves the army. Gsell signs an early street scene photo of Saigon which is captioned as having been taken in 1866. 1867 2 July Gsell is in Saigon and signs a notarized agreement with a Mohamed ben Abou Baker, an Indian entrepreneur. The latter agrees to repay Gsell the borrowed sum of 5,500 francs. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 52). 20 October Émile Gsell in a studio advertisement in the Courrier de Saigon announces his return from a trip to Cambodia (and possibly Angkor Wat) and the availability of additional photographs from that place and also a panorama of Saigon. This year Émile Gsell appears in the Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1867 as ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Catinat’. Perhaps he had moved there while his rue Rigault de Genouilly studio was being refurbished.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

63

1868 9 March Gsell is in Saigon and signs another agreement with Mohamed ben Abou Baker confirming that the outstanding loan has been repaid and that Gsell renounces the mortgage which had served as a guarantee. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 53). This year ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly, 19’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1868. 1869 5 March Gsell is in Saigon and signs an agreement with Tan Phat, a Chinese businessman, lending him the sum of 4,440 francs. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 54). 24 May Austrian photographer Wilhelm Burger stops in Vietnam on his way to China as official photographer to the K.K. Mission Nach Ost-asien (September 1868–March 1870). Because of poor weather and a fleeting visit he does not use his camera but instead buys a group of negatives, probably from Gsell. 27 August Gsell is in Saigon and signs an agreement with a Léon David agreeing to buy from him for 8,325 francs land and a house on rue Rigault de Genouilly. This property is presumably the location of Gsell’s studio and is numbered lot 13 of the plan cadastral de Saigon. The total land area is noted as 406.87 square metres. It appears that Gsell was living in the house at the time of purchase. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 54). This year ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly, 19’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1869. 1870 April The Spanish ambassador to China and Annam, Adolpho Patxot, visited Angkor Wat and is pictured in an album where Gsell took all or most of the photographs. It is entirely possible that Gsell accompanied the ambassador on this trip. This year ‘Gsell, Photographe, Rue Rigault de Genouilly, 19’. Gsell’s only competitor seems to be the Chinese studio Pun Lun. Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1870. 1871 5 January Research by Jim Mizerski indicates that Gsell may well have left Saigon with the French mission heading for Thailand via Phnom Penh and Battambang. If so, Mizerski feels that Gsell would have been back in Saigon by around mid-February. See Mizerski’s translation of Elephant Train (2017). 26 July The governor of Cochinchina, Marie Jules Dupré, is about to leave Saigon for a trip to Angkor Wat and announces in a letter that Gsell will accompany him. This year ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1871. 1872 16 September Gsell reaffirms his French citizenship following France’s defeat by Germany and the occupation of his birthplace by the victors. This year ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1872.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

64

1873 July Louis Delaporte attempts to obtain permission for Gsell to accompany him on his second trip to Angkor Wat and other ruins. It seems likely that the authorities turned down his request. This year ‘Gsell (E.) Photographe, Quai Rigault De Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1873. The Vienna Exposition 1873 (1 May–31 October) awards Émile Gsell the Medal of Merit ‘pour ses albums photographiques’ and the announcement is made in the 20 December 1873 issue of the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française. 1874 March Émile Gsell wins a silver medal, first class, for his photography at the second Exposition agricole et industrielle de Cochinchine 1874 held at Saigon, Courrier de Saigon, 5 April 1874. This year ‘Gsell (E.) Photographe, Quai Rigault De Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1874. 1875 4–24 April Émile Gsell is the photographer attached to Baron Brossard de Corbigny’s embassy to the court at Hue. Although denied permission by the authorities to use his camera, it seems he does take some portraits and scenes, perhaps though not near the palace or citadel. 6 May Gsell is in Saigon as a party to an agreement that makes him a proxy for Antoine Dejean, a Saigon merchant who is currently absent. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 81). 10 June Gsell is in Saigon and is party to a further agreement that details his responsibilities in acting as a proxy for the absent Antoine Dejean. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 81). This year ‘Gsell Photographe, Quai Rigault De Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1875. A photo album obtained by a Dr Clouth in Saigon contains a collection of Gsell’s Angkor photos with numbered labels from 1 to 163. No Angkor photos with a number higher than 163 (except for one mislabelled image) have been found, indicating that Gsell did not return to Angkor after that time. 1876 November Émile Gsell is with Alexandre de Kergaradec, French consul in Hanoi, whose task is to ascend the Red River. Gsell takes many photographs of Hanoi and Tonkin from 23 November 1876 until January 1877. 9 November Gsell is absent and, in an agreement, is discharged from being executor to the now deceased Antoine Dejean’s estate. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 83). This year ‘Gsell (Émile) Photographe, Rue Rigault-De-Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1876. 1878 15 June A ‘Gsell’ is passenger on the steamer M.M. Sindh bound for Marseilles from Saigon (Straits Times Overland Journal, 22 June 1878, p. 1). Assuming this is Émile, it is likely he was on his way to visit his family in Paris and to attend the International Exhibition.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

65

16 June It seems that Gsell’s passage to France was delayed, perhaps by a day or two, because he now appoints Alfred Renaudin as his proxy by way of a notarized document. National Archives (Actes notarié: AN SOM NOT Indochine 85). 22 June The Singapore Straits Times Overland Journal of 22 June 1878, in its ships’ passenger column, mentions the arrival of ‘Mr. Gsell’ travelling from Saigon to Marseilles. This year ‘E. Gsell. Photographer, Rue Rigault de Genouilly, Saigon’, Chronicle & Directory for China, Japan, Philippines etc., 1878. Gsell wins a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle de 1878 (held 1May–10 November 1878). See Aide-mémoire de photographie Pour 1979. 1879 16 October Death of Émile Gsell in Saigon at his home on the rue Rigault de Genouilly. This year ‘Gsell, Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’, Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1879. 1881 22 January An announcement in the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française that O. Wegener, a photographer, has acquired the stock of Émile Gsell and will operate from quai Rigault de Genouilly. 1883 3 March Antoine Vidal announces in L’Independant de Saigon that he has succeeded Salin & Vidal as the sole proprietor and is the owner of Gsell’s photographic stock. His address is rue Rigault de Genouilly 10. 3 December Death of Vidal in Saigon. 1884 17 January L’Independant de Saigon, 17 January 1884. Gsell’s prints and negatives are probably dispersed following Vidal’s sale: [Translation] Offers are invited for the photography equipment and studio of the VIDAL estate. Composed of a large number of photographs: Views and Types of Cambodia, Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin (old Gsell collection). A large number of Photographs also from Cambodia, Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin. Ten different camera lenses, 1 satin press, mirrors and boxes for photographs, card, paintings, papers, chemicals, etc., etc. Contact Messrs. Bernard Fleith and E. Laplace, Catinat Street. 1885 3 March The land on which Gsell’s studio stood, together with the façade on rue Rigault de Genouilly, is sold by his estate to the local commercial photographer Mrs Claudine Eugenie Montvenoux. National Archives (Actes notarié: ANSOM NOT Indochine 92). NOTES 1

2

Birth records for Émile and his brother Charles, together with their parents’ marriage certificate, are held by the archives section at the Conseil departmental du Haut-Rhin in Colmar. The author is grateful to Jérôme Ghesquière, curator of photographs at the Musée national des arts asiatiquesGuimet, Paris, for allowing access to copies of these documents. See Francis Garnier, Voyage d’exploration en Indo-Chine effectué pendant les années 1866, 1867 et 1868, Paris: Libraire Hachette et Cie, 1873, p. 21. The author writes: ‘Un photographe de Saïgon, M. Gsell, était

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

66

3

4

5 6 7

8 9

10

11

12

13

14 15

16

adjoint à la Commission pendant le même temps.’ [A photographer from Saigon was assigned to the Commission at the same time [5 June 1866].] John Thomson, ‘Notes of a Journey Through Siam to the Ruins of Cambodia’, unpublished paper submitted on 17 August 1866 to the Royal Geographical Society of London. Reproduced in Jim Mizerski, Cambodia Captured: Angkor’s First Photographers in 1860’s Colonial Intrigues, Phnom Penh: Jasmine Image Machine, 2016, pp. 217–24. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Émile Gsell album Cochinchine et Cambodge consisting of forty-nine prints. Accession Number 2005.100.501 (5). See Mizerski, Cambodia Captured, for a detailed account of Gsell’s activities at Angkor. See Ancestry.com ‘Citizenship Declarations (Optants), 1872’. A member of the international jury, M. C. Aubry-Lecompte, reported: ‘Citons encore deux albums exposés par M. Gsell, l’habile photographe de Saïgon, et représentant l’un les ruines d’Angkor, les plus célèbres de toutes celles qui existent dans l’Extrême-Orient, l’autre les moeurs, les coutumes les types des populations annamites et cambodgiennes.’ [Let us mention two more albums produced by Mr. Gsell, the clever photographer of Saigon. One represents the ruins of Angkor, the most famous of all those which exist in the Far East, and the other the customs and way of life of the Annamese and Cambodian populations]. Exposition universelle de Vienne en 1873, France, Commission supérieure, rapports, tome V, Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1874, p. 88. Courrier de Saigon, 5 April 1874 and 20 December 1878. The Spanish ambassador to China and Annam, Adolpho Patxot, visited Angkor Wat in April 1870 and is pictured in an album where all or most of the photographs were taken by Gsell. This album, Fol Est 742, is held by the INHA (Institut national d’histoire de l’art, Paris). Although a number of the Angkor views in the album were taken in 1866, it is possible that others were shot on this trip and that Gsell went along as guide and photographer. Mizerski in his book Elephant Train, which chronicles Jules Marcel Brossard de Corbigny’s journey from Saigon to Bangkok, includes photographs by Gsell that may well have been taken on this trip. Brossard de Corbigny, without mentioning the photographer, refers several times to photographs being taken. ‘Et maintenant j’un venir a mon voyage: j’ai l’intention d’amener avec la Lily et la Framée une chaloupe – Bigrel, Montjon et mes trois officiers en accompagneront. Le Directeur de l’enregistrement, M. Bonnet qui dessine fort bien, et M. Gsell le photographe, m’out demande à venir, et embarqueront sur la Framée. J’emporterai au moins trois tentes et les provisions bien entendues.’ [And now let’s talk about my journey: I intend to bring with me the Lily and the launch Framée. Bigrel, Montjon and my three officers will come along. The director of registration and Mr Bonnet, a very good artist, and Mr Gsell the photographer, asked for permission to accompany me and will embark on the Framée. I will take at least three tents and some supplies.] The letter is one of 86 contained in Jean Moura’s album of incoming letters covering the period January 1867 to June 1879. Author’s collection. In a letter from Saigon dated 2 July 1873 and written to his parents, Delaporte states: ‘ancien photographe qui y es retourné dernièrement, à ses frais, ne demande qu’à y revenir avec moi, et j’espère obtenir du gouverneur l’autorisation de l’emmener.’ [Our former photographer, who has recently returned at his own expense, only asks to come back with me, and I hope to get permission from the governor to take him.] However, researcher Julie Philippe states that Gsell’s request was refused and he did not go with Delaporte. See Pierre Baptiste and Thierry Zéphir (eds.), Angkor Naissance d’un mythe, Louis Delaporte et le Cambodge [exhibition catalogue], Paris: Gallimard/Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet, 2013, p. 49. See ‘Huit jours d’ambassade à Hué’, in Le tour du Monde, vol. 1, 1878, pp. 33–64. An English translation appears in Walter Tips, Cities of Nineteenth Century Colonial Vietnam: Hanoi, Saigon, Hue and the Champa Ruins, Bangkok: White Lotus, 1999, p. 124: ‘We ask the king’s envoys whether Mr. Gsell who has come with us to practice photography, could be authorized by His Majesty to take a few sights, or at least some portraits. They do not understand much of this rather simple request; it can only be, they think, to take some pieces of the country with us and views of the fortifications and plans of the citadel to attack it in the future. This new art (new!) bothers them. The next day, the king has the same distrust expressed to us and since there is no diplomatic necessity in this we are quite regrettably forced to do without the help of the collodion; the pencil will replace it as best it can, without stirring up the suspicious susceptibilities of politics.’ See de Kergaradec’s account, ‘Rapport Sur La Reconnaissance Du Fleuve Du Tonkin’, in Revue Maritime et Coloniale, August 1877, pp. 321–52. Straits Times Overland Journal, 22 June 1878, ‘Passengers’, p. 1. Thanks to Jérôme Ghesquière, curator of photographs at the Musée national des arts asiatiquesGuimet, Paris for showing the author a copy of Gsell’s death certificate. Collector, writer and photo-historian Jean-Yves Tréhin-Saulière has carried out unpublished genealogical research on the Gsell family descendants. Gsell’s sister did not marry. His brother Charles (1840–98) had one child, Charles Gsell. Émile’s nephew was born on 10 February 1875 in Paris and died in Amboise (Indre-et-Loire) on 23 April 1947. He married Marie Berthe Alice Fournier, born on 30 May 1881 in Champien (Somme). She died in Amboise on 13 January 1971 and at the time was living at 50 rue Léonard de Vinci. The couple had no children and the beneficiaries of her estate – three nephews and one niece – avoided French inheritance taxes by declining to take possession of

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

67

17

18

the assets. Details of the succession are preserved at the Departmental Archives of Indre-et-Loire in Tours. Tréhin-Saulière traced present-day descendants of the Fournier family but it seems they were unaware of Émile Gsell’s history. ‘Mr. Gsell (Émile), a photographer in Saigon, died in that city on October 16, 1879. His estate is with the trustees of the vacant property. The creditors and the debtors of his estate must produce their titles or will be released within a month from November 1st, 1879.’ A representative sample of where notable surviving albums can be found would include the following: 1. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Royaume du Cambodge et Cochinchine française, ref: VF227. 2. Institut national d’histoire de l’art, Paris (INHA), Cambodge, ref: Fol Est 742. 3. Author’s collection, London, Ruines d’Angcor (Siam), Ref: IND-A-109; Cochinchine Française & Cambodge, ref: IND-A-115. 4. Ministère des Affaires étrangères. Direction des Archives, Paris, five Albums of Charles Le Myre de Vilers, ref: A000690-1778. 5. Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris. Album prints are individually numbered from AP9000. The Guimet also has a number of Gsell’s original glass negatives of Angkor Wat. 6. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis Fonds Asie du Sud-Est et Monde Insulindien (ASEMI), Nice, PH02: Album Saigon, Émile Gsell, 1873(?), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis – Bibliothèques – Photothèque ASEMI (CC-BY); PH03: Album Cambodge, Émile Gsell, 1873?, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis – Bibliothèques – Photothèque ASEMI (CC-BY). 7. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Cochinchine et Cambodge, ref: 2005.100.501.

1. Émile Gsell. First studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 20 September 1866.

2. Émile Gsell. Studio advertisement, Courrier de Saigon, 20 October 1867.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

68

3. Émile Gsell. Collage of images, c.1866–7, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

4. Émile Gsell. Collage of images, c.1866–7, albumen print carte de visite. Close variant of 3. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

69

5. Émile Gsell. Collage of portraits, c.1870, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

70

6. Émile Gsell. Collage of images, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

7. Émile Gsell. Newly completed Governor’s Palace constructed 1868–73, albumen print, signed by Gsell. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

71

8. Émile Gsell. ‘Embajador Española a Siam y Cochinchina’ [Spanish ambassador to Siam and Cochinchina], 1870. Photographed in Saigon and signed by Gsell.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

72

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

73

9. Émile Gsell. Saigon, three-part panorama, 1866, albumen print. Note the absence of the Maison Wang Tai constructed in 1867. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

74

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

75

10. Émile Gsell. ‘Le Nouveau Palais Du Gouvernement, A Saigon’, engraving of Fig. 7, L’Illustration, 28 February 1874.

11. Émile Gsell. ‘Pagode chinoise … cholon [Saigon]’, c.1868, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

76

12. Émile Gsell. ‘Grotte de marbre à Tourranne (Tonkin)’, c.1875, albumen print. Grotto at the marble mountain at Huyen Khong Quan, Da Nang. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

77

13. Émile Gsell. ‘Saigon – Les quais en 1866’, albumen print, signed by Gsell. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis – Bibliothèques – Photothèque ASEMI.PH02-03.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

78

14. Émile Gsell. ‘Sauvages Laotiens [Natives from Laos]’, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

79

15. Émile Gsell. North Library, Angkor Wat, Cambodia, c.1870, albumen print, signed by Gsell. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

80

16. Émile Gsell. View along the rue Rigault de Genouilly showing Gsell’s studio, c.1879, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

DETAIL

17. Émile Gsell. Detail of Fig. 16 showing Gsell’s studio.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

81

18. Émile Gsell. ‘Femme Annamite (Saïgon)’, c.1870, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

82

19. Émile Gsell. ‘Cochinchine – Femme annamite’, c.1870, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

83

20. Émile Gsell. ‘Vieux notable d’Annam, Fan Lim, mandarin 3e class’, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

84

21. Émile Gsell. Mandarin and child, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

85

22. Émile Gsell. ‘Anamite woman’, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

23. Émile Gsell. ‘Anamites’, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

86

24. Émile Gsell. ‘Anamites at their meals’, 1870s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

87

25. Émile Gsell. Saigon River showing the Maison Wang-Tai under construction, 1866–7, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

88

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

89

26. Émile Gsell. The new Saigon market, c.1877, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

27. Émile Gsell. ‘Arroyo Chinois (Saigon)’, c.1875, albumen print. Showing the foreign residential area. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

90

28. Émile Gsell. ‘Maires et phu (préfets) annamites [Government officials]’, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

91

29. Émile Gsell. ‘Ambassadeur annamite’, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

92

30. Émile Gsell. ‘Femme du sérail du roi du Cambodge [Concubine of the King of Cambodia]’, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

93

31. Émile Gsell. ‘Cochinchine – Jeunes Congais [Young mistresses]’, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

94

32. Émile Gsell. ‘Riche anamite’, c.1875, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

95

33. Émile Gsell. ‘Hanoi – Vue de la concession française au Tongking’, c.1876, albumen print. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis – Bibliothèques – Photothèque ASEMI.PH02-03.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

96

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

97

34. Émile Gsell. ‘Vue intérieur de la citadelle, Hanoi (Tongking)’, c.1876, albumen print. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis – Bibliothèques – Photothèque ASEMI.PH02-03.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

98

ÉMILE GSELL (1838–1879)

99

CHAPTER 4

Commercial Studios (1880s–1890s) a

1. Pierre Dieulefils. Muong woman from Bao Ha, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

A

fter Gsell’s death in 1879, several successor studios took over his negatives and tried to build successful businesses. Foremost amongst these were those of O. Wegener, Eugène Salin and Antoine Vidal. M[ax] Martin opened a studio in Saigon around 1887, and although he was still operating in Vietnam in 1912 we know very little about his life and work and it has therefore not been possible to assess his contribution fully. François-Henri Schneider was known more as a printer and publisher than a photographer. Nevertheless, he appears to have produced a large body of photography work during a thirty-year career but very little of it has been positively identified. He operated out of Hanoi and Haiphong from 1888, until at least 1918. Pierre Dieulefils began his career as a military photographer – official or semi-official – and is one of the significant figures in Vietnamese photography, producing an excellent and extensive body of work. He also operated out of Hanoi from 1888 and ended his career at around the same time as Schneider. The Khanh Ky studio in Hanoi opened its doors in 1892. Its owner and practitioner, Nguyen Dinh Khanh, is today known as the father of Vietnamese photography. He is said to have mastered the art of studio portraiture. His business prospered and was in operation until at least 1941. Aurélien Pestel was another fine photographer who, despite a relatively short career, produced a considerable volume of work, much of which has survived in album form. He opened in Saigon in 1894 and died there in 1897. Raphael Moreau is something of a mystery figure, about whose life we currently know very little. His studio was based in Hanoi from 1897 and continued until around 1910. Surviving examples of his work suggest he was an outstanding artist. From the late 1880s many indigenous Vietnamese or Chinese studios sprang up across the country, bringing unwanted competition to the French practitoners. Nevertheless, unlike in neighbouring countries, such as China and Japan, the evidence indicates that the French studios were still able to survive and prosper well into the early twentieth century. When government photography and publishing commissions were handed out, evidence suggests that the French colonial authorities invariably gave preference to their own nationals. Examples include the government printing contracts awarded to Schneider and the contract to produce photographic identity cards across Tonkin awarded to Dieulefils.

O. WEGENER (fl. 1881)

Following Émile Gsell’s death in Saigon in 1879, his stock was acquired by the otherwise unknown O. Wegener, who publicized the purchase in the 22 January 1881 issue

2. O. Wegener. Advertisement, Journal Officiel de la Cochinchine française, 22 January 1881.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

101

of the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française. The advertisement was repeated regularly, up to and including the 9 February 1881 issue. It stressed that the prices were the same as those previously charged by Gsell and that the studio would open from seven in the morning until six in the evening. No other references to Wegener have surfaced and the suspicion is that his studio must have been very short-lived indeed.1 SALIN AND VIDAL (fl. 1881–1885)

Two Saigon-based photographers, Eugène Salin and Antoine Vidal, formed the partnership of Salin and Vidal on 29 March 1882, probably to share the cost of acquiring the Gsell stock of photographs from Wegener. Note the makeshift overlay label is obscuring the previous Gsell name illustrated here. However, on 19 February 1883, just a year later, the partnership was dissolved in the Saigon Commercial Court. The following appeared in the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française on 24 February 1883:2

3. Salin & Vidal. Collage of images, 1882, albumen print. Archives du Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Etrangères, La Courneuve.

DISSOLUTION DE SOCIÉTÉ.

Suivant acte sous signatures privées, en date à Saigon du 19 février 1883, M. Antoine VIDAL, photographe, demeurant à Saigon, rue Rigault de Genouilly, Et M. Eugène SALIN, photographe, demeurant à Saigon, rue Rigault de Genouilly, Ont déclaré dissoudre purement et simplement, à compter du jour dudit acte, la socieété en nom collectif formée entre eux sous la raison sociale:

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 102

SALIN ET VIDAL.

Et ce suivant acte sous signatures privées fait quadruple à Saigon le 29 mars 1882. Les oppositions, en ce qui concerne M. Salin, seront reçues chez M. Jouvet, rue Rigault de Genouilly. Un double dudit acte de dissolution a été déposé le vingt-deux février 1883 au greffe de la justice de paix de Saigon et au greffe du tribunal de commerce de ladite ville. Pour extrait: Signe: P. A. LEFEBVRE.

4. Antoine Eugène Salin. Foreign Sailor, 1881–5, albumen print carte de visite. Philippe Damas Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 103

Antoine Eugène Salin was born in Bordeaux on 11 August 1850. Although his former life and career are yet to be researched, we know that he married Marie Orsini, a seamstress, in Toulon, France, on 25 August 1880. According to the marriage record, he was at that time on a month’s leave from Saigon where he was employed as a secretary in the shipping industry. His father, who died around the time of his son’s marriage, was a wine merchant. By 1881 Salin seems to have had a change of career and was operating a studio in Saigon. The following year he entered into the short-lived partnership with Vidal.3 After the partnership was dissolved, Salin is mentioned in the 1884 and 1885 editions of the Annuaire de la Cochinchine: ‘Salin, Photographe, Rue Catinat’. The 1885 Chronicle and Directory for China, Japan etc. also lists ‘Salin E., photographer, Saigon, Rue Catinat’. On 12 June 1885 Salin died in Saigon. Just six days later, the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française carried an advertisement placed by his widow, which was repeated until 29 June, stating that the Salin studio would reopen on 1 July and would continue under her management, offering views of Cochinchina, Cambodia and Tonkin. It seems as though the studio was short-lived, however, and is not mentioned in future publications: Mme veuve Salin a l’honneur d’informer le public qu’elle continue la gestion de l’atelier de photographie que son mari tenait rue Catinat. La réouverture se fera le 1er juillet prochain, avec un assortiment complet de jolis points de vue pris en Cochinchine, au Cambodge et au Tonkin. Les créanciers du vivant de son mari sont priés de présenter leur factures, ainsi que les débiteurs de vouloir bien se libérer dans le plus bef délai.4 We also know very little about the life and career of Jean Joseph Claude Antoine Vidal, who was born in Martigues on 23 August 1832. What we do know is that just a week after announcing his separation from Salin, he made clear in the local press on 3 March 1883 that his studio would continue to market Gsell’s photographs: PHOTOGRAPHIE GSELL, VIDAL, SUCCESSEUR

Rue Rigault-de-Genouilly, 10. Les débiteurs de la maison SALIN et VIDAL sont priés de liquider leurs comptes dans le délai de huitaine. Monsieur VIDAL, seul propriétaire de l’établissement informe le public saigonnais qu’il est en mesure d’exécuter toutes les commandes qu’on voudra bien lui confier. Nouvelle baisse de prix sur la vente des vues et types photographiques, selon les quantités prises.5 Vidal is listed in the 1883 Annuaire de la Cochinchine: ‘Vidal, Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly. He died in Saigon on 4 December 1883. SUCCESSION VIDAL.

M. Vidal, photographe à Saigon, décédé le 4 décembre dernier, a nommé son exécuteur testamentaire, M. Laplace, courtier de commerce à Saigon. Les créanciers de la succession sont priés de déposer chez M. Laplace, rue Catinat, 57, leurs titres de créance visés par M. le Président du Tribunal civil de Saigon. Les débiteurs sont invités à se libérer dans le plus bref délai.6

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 104

Following Vidal’s death, all of his photographic stock, equipment and chemicals were auctioned, including all of the Émile Gsell prints and negatives which Vidal had acquired when he was in partnership with Salin. The sale was advertised as follows: ON DEMANDE des offres pour le matériel et l’installation de l’atelier de photographie de la succession VIDAL. Composés d’un grand nombre de clichés: des Vues et Types du Cambodge, de Cochinchine, de l’Annam et du Tonkin (ancienne collection Gsell). Une grande quantité de Photographies également du Cambodge, de Cochinchine, de l’Annam et du Tonkin. Dix objectifs divers, 1 presse à satiner, glaces et boites pour clichés, cartons, tableaux, papiers, produits chimiques, etc., etc. S’adresser à MM. Bernard Fleith et E. Laplace, rue Catinat.7 TRUONG VINH KY (1837–1898)

On the face of it, Truong Vinh Ky is an example of a Vietnamese commercial photographer who operated for a short period and then disappeared. The Société de Géographie, Paris, of which Truong was a member, has three of his photographs. The 1883 edition

5. Portrait of Truong Vinh Ky by Émile Gsell, c.1870, albumen print carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 105

of the Annuaire de la Cochinchine notes him as being a photographer based in Saigon. However, the 1887 version refers to his being a professor of Chinese at the College of Interpreters (Collège des interprètes) in Saigon. In Vietnam today, Truong’s dalliance with commercial photography is forgotten or unknown. Instead, he is remembered as Pétrus Ky or Jean-Baptiste Pétrus, a noted scholar and intellectual. His literary works helped bridge the gap between Western and Vietnamese culture and he was also instrumental in popularizing the romanized script of the Vietnamese language, Quoc ngu. Born into a Roman Catholic family, Truong attended a mission college in Cambodia in 1848. Three years later he switched his studies to Penang (Pinang) in Malaysia and mastered French, Latin and Greek. The missionaries singled him out as a future interpreter, and in this role Truong joined the Vietnamese ambassador, Phan Thanh Gian, on a diplomatic mission to France in 1863. Impressed with what he saw, Pétrus Ky obtained permission to stay in Europe for a further two years. He visited England, Spain, Italy and Egypt while compiling a Vietnamese-French dictionary. Between 1867 and 1874 he taught Oriental languages in Saigon and wrote extensively for the Vietnamese-language newspaper Gia-Dinh Bao. In 1876 he visited northern Vietnam and prepared a confidential report for the colonial authorities recommending to the French that they expand their military and political reach to that part of the country. He was asked by Governor-General Paul Bert to teach French to the emperor Dong Khanh in Hue. He wrote many books, including the first significant French-language history of Vietnam in 1875–7, Cours d’histoire annamite. In later life Pétrus Ky fell out of favour with the Vietnamese court and the rest of his life was marred by illness and debt. We do not yet know why he opened a photography studio in 1883 or where and when he learned the art, nor the extent to which he practised it.

6. Truong Vinh Ky’s house at Cholon, c.1870, albumen print. Photographed by Gsell. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 106

M. MARTIN (fl. 1887–1912)

The Austrian M[ax] Martin was born in Vienna and had a lengthy and successful career as a professional photographer in Southeast Asia. Degroise gives his first name as Max but not the source of this information. During a period spanning some thirty years, Martin operated studios in Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, Do Son and Haiphong.8 According to John Falconer, Martin is first noted as a photographer in Singapore in 1879, working as an assistant to the firm of Moses & Co.9 In January 1881 he opened a studio in Bangkok and was still there in 1886, according to Falconer. However, the 1885 Chronicle & Directory for China, Japan, etc. lists Martin as a photographer in Singapore operating from 102 Hill Street. By 1887 he had opened his first studio in Vietnam, at rue Catinat, Saigon.10 At around this time he also appears to open another studio on the boulevard de Sontay in Haiphong, which was still in operation in 1912.11 In 1890 he was back in Singapore managing the Moses & Co. studio12 and was still there in 1892 although the name had changed to the Standard Photographic Company.13 In 1902 he exhibited an album of photographs at the Hanoi Exhibition on behalf of the Haiphong Chamber of Commerce, according to Degroise. Martin, together with his assistants, operated a number of studios in what appears to be, at least for a time, a very successful business. It is noticeable that some of his prints, which carried the Martin signature across the face, were the original work of Émile Gsell. Judging by the quality of surviving examples, it seems that Martin rephotographed Gsell’s prints rather than having acquired the original negatives and printing directly from them.14 It is clear that Martin’s reputation was sufficient to enable him to command sittings with some eminent personages. For example, the backs of Martin’s studio cabinet cards indicate that he had photographed the King of Siam, the King of the Sandwich Islands [Hawaii], H.R.H. the Duke of Genoa, H.H. the Rajah of Sarawak and Archduke Leopold of Austria. We also know that he photographed King Norodom of Cambodia. Martin’s long and varied 7. M. Martin. Portrait of foreigner, 1880s, cabinet career is worthy of more research. format albumen print. Author’s Collection. FRANÇOIS-HENRI SCHNEIDER (fl. 1888–1918)

Schneider was a publisher, printer and photographer. Operating out of Hanoi and Haiphong, his successful thirty-year career can partly be attributed to the commercial contracts he held with the French colonial authorities in Indochina. Amongst other works, Schneider published the Revue indochinoise and l’Avenir du Tonkin and several notable government publications, including the renamed Journal officiel de l’Indochine and the Annuaire général de l’Indochine. In the early 1900s he published postcards with his imprint but how many of them were made from his photographs is unclear. In 1901 Schneider advertised for sale some 3,000 photos, claiming them to be

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 107

8. F. H. Schneider. Tonkinese officials, 1880s–1890s, albumen print. Philippe Damas Collection.

the best photographic collection of Indochina. Again, however, we do not know how many of these he photographed himself, although we do know that the photographer Yu Chong (real name Luong Loi Tchiou) was one of Schneider’s operators for a time. This uncertainty over authorship also extends to the seventy-five photographs from his workshop shown at the 1902 Hanoi Exhibition. In the 1905 edition of the Annuaire général de l’Indochine Schneider advertised a seven-plate panorama of Hanoi.

F. H. SCHNEIDER IMPRIMEUR-ÉDITEUR. – HANOI – HAIPHONG ATELIER SPÉCIAL de Photographie et Photogravure Réduction, en similigravure, de la feuille centrale du Panorama de Hanoi en Sept feuilles 18 x 24. Photographie prise du point culminant des pignons de scène du nouveau théàtre (34 metres de hauteur). Ce panorama, d’un développement total 1 m. 50 est mis en vente au prix de: Feuilles non collées – assemblées àcharnière sous cartonnage riche.

10fr.00 Franco par poste, 15fr.00 0fr. 50 en sus.

VUES du Tonkin, de l’Annam, de la Cochinchine et du Cambodge Formats 13 x 18, 18 x 24 et 24 x 30 PLUS DE 3,000 CLICHÉS La plus importante collection de l’Indo-Chine15 Although we know nothing about his private life, it is clear that Schneider was a giant of the printing and publishing scene in Vietnam in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His many business activities undoubtedly limited the time he could devote to photography. Nevertheless, it seems likely that Schneider was the author of many images that have yet to be attributed and more research is required to determine the significance of his role in Vietnamese photography. Was he primarily the distributor of the works of other photographers, an important photographer in his own right, or both? According to Boisjoly and Badot (2013, p. 195), Schneider ceased his photography and postcard publishing activities in 1906.16

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 108

9. F. H. Schneider. ‘Yen Phu, Ecole Franco-annamite’, c.1890, albumen print. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis – Bibliothèques – Photothèque ASEMI. PIERRE DIEULEFILS (1862–1937)

One of the giants of photography in late nineteenth/early twentieth-century French Indochina, and indeed the most prolific, was Pierre Dieulefils. He was born on 21 January 1862 in Malestroit, Morbihan. After taking employment in a haberdashery business in 1883, he signed a five-year engagement with the army and joined the 24th Artillery Regiment in Vannes. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier in 1884 and served with his regiment in the Tonkin Campaign of 1885–87, during which time he is known to have taken some photographs.17 Based in Hanoi, Dieulefils was actively involved in suppressing opposition to French rule, both from Vietnamese and Chinese insurgents. It is not clear how or when he learned the art of photography but it is entirely possible that he received training from the army and was active with his camera in an official or semi-official capacity. Back in France in August 1887, Dieulefils, on leave of absence, met his future wife, Marie Glais, and decided not to extend his army service. Instead, he determined to return to Hanoi and set himself up as a professional photographer, opening a studio there in July 1888. Dieulefils immediately set his sights on building a portfolio of work capable of being exhibited at the 1889 Exposition Universelle at Paris, where he was awarded a bronze medal. He married on 8 July 1889 and returned with his wife to Hanoi. In 1890 their first child, Marguerite Marie, was born. The following year saw the arrival of twins, Pierre and Georges; the latter suffered a fatal accident at a young age. Their second daughter, Marie, was born in 1894. At around this time the colonial authorities decided to require photographic identity cards for all foreigners, primarily Chinese, resident in Tonkin and Annam. Dieulefils seems to have been successful in winning the tender for the Tonkin section and

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 109

travelled throughout the area carrying out the task. It appears that Dieulefils’ photography business was flourishing at this time. In 1898 the family returned to France where they acquired land in Malestroit on which they built a house. Dieulefils was still active as a photographer, however, and started to prepare for the 1900 Exposition Universelle at Paris where, according to the website maintained by family descendants, he won a gold medal.18 With his reputation secured, the family decided to return to Hanoi in 1901. It was there that Dieulefils had further success in publishing, from 1902, photographic postcards. In 1904 Dieulefils became seriously ill, having contracted hepatic amoebiasis. Following a major operation, he returned to France to recuperate. According to his family descendants, he never fully recovered his health. Nevertheless, following his return to Hanoi he launched a new series of postcards which displayed a distinctive logo in the form of a perfume burner. In 1905 he decided to broaden his portfolio of images geographically and accordingly travelled to Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It was at this time, at the height of his fame, that Dieulefils relocated his Hanoi photography business to 42/44 rue Paul Bert. He submitted a selection of his Cambodia postcards to the 1906 Colonial Exhibition in Marseille, where he received a gold medal. A year later he acquired a house in the fashionable coastal resort of Do Son, near Haiphong. He continued to participate in international exhibitions, notably the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition in London and the 1910 Brussels International. Dieulefils dominated the production of postcards in Indochina in the years 1902– 10. During this time he also embarked on a successful publishing career by producing books of his photographs. In and around the year 1909 he issued an outstanding sequence of works. The four most important were L’Indo-Chine pittoresque & monumentale: Ruines d’Angkor; L’Indo-Chine pittoresque & monumentale: Annam-Tonkin; Saigon et ses Environs Cochinchine; and Indochine Française Cartes Postales.

10. Pierre Dieulefils attributed. ‘Une porte de la citadelle de Hanoi’, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

110

The Dieulefils family returned to France in 1913, on the eve of World War I. It is from this time on that he suffered a series of family and financial misfortunes. His son Pierre was killed in the conflict in 1917 and another son, John, suffered from various medical disorders. At the end of the war Dieulefils made the mistake of converting his gold francs into paper francs and investing in Russian or Romanian government bonds, which subsequently became worthless. He continued to travel to Vietnam where he still had assets, but his active career as a photographer was at an end. He sold his studio in 1919 to someone known as A. Levray. In 1921 his elder daughter, Marguerite-Marie, died from the Spanish Flu. Dieulefils and his wife settled in their home in Malestroit where his time was taken up with writing poetry. He died there on 19 November 1937 at the age of 75. His wife survived him and died in 1955. They are buried together in the Malestroit cemetery. Dieulefils published an estimated 5,000 photographs and postcards, mainly focused on Tonkin, Annam, Yunan (China) and Cambodia. He was already enjoying a high reputation when the worldwide postcard craze began at the beginning of the twentieth century. Dieulefils demonstrated commercial awareness and marketing flair in recognizing and exploiting this new opportunity – developing and designing attractive postcards whose popularity secured him a small fortune.19 KHANH KY (1874–1946)

Khanh Ky (real name Nguyen Dinh Khanh) is one of the more famous Vietnamese photographers. He is known as the father of Vietnamese photography and is credited

11. Pierre Dieulefils. Buddhist Priests, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

111

12. Pierre Dieulefils attributed. Hanoi woman, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

112

13. Pierre Dieulefils. Captured daughters of rebel leader Hoang Hoa Tham (aka De Tham, 1858–1913), c.1908, silver print. Author’s Collection.

14. Pierre Dieulefils. Daughter of rebel leader Hoang Hoa Tham, c.1908, silver print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

113

15. Pierre Dieulefils. Captured rebel during the campaign against Hoang Hoa Tham, c.1908, silver print. Author’s Collection.

16. Pierre Dieulefils. ‘Tirailleurs tonkinois en marche [Vietnamese Soldiers]’, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

114

17. Pierre Dieulefils. ‘Scenes de la vie Annamite’, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

18. Pierre Dieulefils. Water carrier, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

115

19. Pierre Dieulefils. Mandarins, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

116

20. Pierre Dieulefils. Members of the Man ethnic group, Mount Ba Vi, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

117

21. Pierre Dieulefils. Buddists in prayer, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

118

22. Pierre Dieulefils. Le Doi Van (who rebelled against French rule and was executed in 1889), c.1888, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

119

23. Pierre Dieulefils. Hanoi panorama, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 120

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

121

24. Pierre Dieulefils. Hanoi, rue des Voiles, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 122

25. Pierre Dieulefils. Hanoi, rue des Bambous, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 123

26. Pierre Dieulefils. Vicinty of the Grand Lake, Hanoi, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

27. Pierre Dieulefils. Military post at Yen The, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 124

28. Pierre Dieulefils. Hanoi, rue Paul Bert, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

29. Pierre Dieulefils. ‘Saigon et ses Environs Cochinchine’, Hanoi, c.1909, containing 54 collotypes. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 125

30. Pierre Dieulefils attributed. Haiphong four-part panorama, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 126

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 127

with perfecting the art of studio portraiture in Vietnam. Born in the village of Lai Xa, Ha Tay province (now Hanoi), he developed his photographic skills and passed on his knowledge to local villagers. By the beginning of the twentieth century Lai Xa was known as a ‘photography village’, a title conferred on it by the government and one it still holds today. It also hosts the Lai Xa Photography Museum, Vietnam’s first photography museum, which opened in 2017. Khanh Ky learned photography at the age of sixteen at the Du Chuong Photo Shop in Hanoi, run by a Chinese. Two years later, in 1892, he opened his own Hanoi studio in Hang Da Street. Khanh Ky then proceeded to build a photography franchise and facilitated the opening of more than 150 photography studios throughout the country, including thirty-five in Hanoi and the same number in Saigon and the southern provinces. Many of the studios were run by 31. Khanh Ky. Foreign child, c.1930, sil- photographers origver print. Author’s Collection. inating from Lai Xa village. Indeed, some of them branched out into Laos, China and Germany. Khanh Ky travelled to France and opened a studio in Paris in 1916 or 1917. There he met the Vietnamese patriot Phan Chu Trinh, and also Ho Chi Minh, who was fermenting revolutionary ideas in Vietnam from his base in Paris in the years 1917–23. Khanh Ky instructed Ho in photography so that the future leader could earn some money to help meet his living expenses. Ho never forgot the favour and visited Khanh Ky’s gravesite in Paris during his subsequent visits to France. Khanh Ky returned to Vietnam in 1923 and expanded his business throughout the country. His main Saigon studio was at 54 boulevard Bonnard, as advertised in the 1923 edition of Annuaire général de 32. Khanh Ky. Vietnamese couple in Western dress, c.1930, silver print. Author’s l’Indochine: Collection. KHANH-KY & Cie Photographes 54, boulevard Bonnard. Photographie Artistique et Industrielle. Spécialitiés pour: Agrandissements, reproductions et Portraits à l’encre de Chine. In November 1933 L’Illustration reproduced his photographs of the visit of the emperor to Hanoi. The studio in Hanoi was in operation until at least 1941. He died in Paris on 31 May 1946.20

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 128

AURÉLIEN PESTEL (1855–1897)

Aurélien Joseph Pestel was born in Paris on 31 May 1855, the son of Jean Pestel and Joséphine Fontaine. He arrived in Vietnam in 1883, working as a clerk for the colonial authorities in Tay Ninh, southwestern Vietnam, helping to manage the production of opium. The following year he was transferred to Kampot, Cambodia, but decided to quit public service shortly afterwards and set himself up as a trader. Unfortunately, he lost all of his possessions during the rebellion of 1884. A year later his son Aurélien Jean Michel was born, but Pestel had moved to Saigon and would not see him until 1892. In Saigon, Pestel married Josephine Bélard on 25 January 1894. By this time he had set himself up as a photographer and taken over the Saigon studio of Louis Talbot.21 Quite when the Pestel studio was first established is not clear, but a Pestel album in the author’s collection has two images dated 1887.22 In 1894 Pestel produced an excellent album of 102 views which he exhibited at the Exposition Universelle de Lyon.23 Pestel died in his studio in Saigon at 10 boulevard Charner on 24 May 1897. His studio was taken over by Ferdinand Négadelle. Pestel was prolific in his production and his work was in high demand. We can infer this from the number of Pestel studio albums that have survived containing many examples of high-quality work. The albums themselves are often covered in Japanese lacquer with artistic design work.

33. Aurélien Pestel. Pestel’s photographic crew, c.1890, albumen print. Note the photographer’s name stamped on the box. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 129

34. Aurélien Pestel. Priest, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 130

35. Aurélien Pestel. Saigon woman, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

131

36. Aurélien Pestel. Chinese roadside soup vendors, Saigon, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

37. Aurélien Pestel. Street vendors, Saigon, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 132

38. Aurélien Pestel. Young children, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 133

39. Aurélien Pestel. Old couple, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 134

40. Aurélien Pestel. Saigon woman, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 135

41. Aurélien Pestel. Chinese lady, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

42. Aurélien Pestel. Grand canal, Saigon, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 136

43. Aurélien Pestel. Vietnamese family, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

137

44. Raphael Moreau. Halong Bay, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

45. Raphael Moreau. Mandarin on horseback, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 138

RAPHAEL MOREAU (fl. 1897–1910)

It appears that no significant research has so far been carried out on the life and work of the talented French commercial photographer Raphael Moreau. He established a successful studio in Hanoi in 1897 at 39 boulevard Dong Khanh and was skilled in landscape, portraiture, genre and architectural photography. Most of his work was carried out in Hanoi and Tonkin, but he also worked in Yunnan province, southwestern China, where he photographed, amongst other subjects, the early construction of the Kunming-Haiphong Railway. In the early 1900s he was one of the first to publish postcards in French Indochina. He is still shown operating from Hanoi in the 1910 Directory & Chronicle, which refers to him as ‘Raphael Moreau, Photographie française (Cartes Postales Illustrées du Tonkin) – Boulevard Dong Khanh, 39’. At around this time, according to Degroise, his studio passed into the hands of Max Pasnat, about whom we know even less.24 Moreau often signed and numbered his photographs in the negative, and the many surviving postcard views and portraits which carry his name are also helpful in identifying his work. Several of his photos are reproduced in Robert Dubois’ book Le Tonkin en 1900 [1900].25 OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS

Claudine Eugenie Montvenoux (fl. 1884–5). Nothing much seems to be known about this female commercial photographer whose Saigon studio is listed, without an address, in the 1884 and 1885 editions of the Annuaire de la Cochinchine. We do know,

46. Raphael Moreau. Religious ceremony, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 139

47. Raphael Moreau. Rue Paul-Bert, Haiphong, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

48. Raphael Moreau. Railway at Lang Son, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 140

49. F. Lacave Laplagne Barris. Saigon Cathedral, c.1887–8, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

however, that on 3 March 1885 she purchased the land on which the late Émile Gsell’s studio stood at rue Rigault de Genouilly.26 F. Lacave Laplagne Barris (fl.1887–8) was probably a military officer and amateur rather than a professional photographer. He took an interesting series of views in Saigon and Quang Yen between May 1887 and October 1888.

50. F. Lacave Laplagne Barris. ‘Rivière de Saigon. Messageries-Maritimes et Pointe des Plaques’, c.1887–8, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

141

Tong Sing (fl. 1889–97). At present we know very little about Tong Sing. Degroise states that he maintained an active studio in Hanoi between 1889 and 1897 and was retained by the French engineering firm Soupe et Raveau to photograph the construction of the railway from Hanoi to Yunnan. The Société de Géographie, Paris, hold examples of his work.27 W. C. Kuhrmeyer operated a commercial studio on rue Nationale, Saigon, in around 1889.28 Yu Chong (fl. 1889–c.1915). This Chinese photographer’s Hanoi-based studio was active from 1889 to about 1915. Degroise states that his real name was Luong Loi Tchiou.29 Before branching out on his own, Luong had previously worked for François-Henri Schneider. His first studio was situated at 92 rue des Paniers, although the address later changed to 88 and then, finally, by 1903 at the latest, to 79 where it was still operating in 1915. The studio’s longevity suggests that it was successful in cultivating customers from both the local Chinese and resident French communities. A good number of studio cartes de visite and cabinet card portraits have survived, which attests to his popularity. Luong also advertised himself as a painter on ivory. In 1902 the studio received a bronze medal at the Hanoi Exhibition.30 At the beginning of the 1890s a growing number of Vietnamese or Chinese studios were operational, mainly in Tonkin. Examples are Mi Cheong, who was based in Haiphong; Yu Hing Tchon of Hanoi; Hong Ky, who was operating from Ky Lua; and both Po Tsan and Leong Kit, who had studios in Haiphong. In 1891 two Vietnamese studios announced themselves by advertising in Saigon-based French publications, apparently the first Vietnamese photographers to do so. Nguyen Van Duc and Truong Tong operated out of Cholon and advertised in the Annuaire général de

51. Yu Chong. ‘Service vétérinaire, Hanoi’, 1902, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 142

l’Indochine, 1891 and 1892, and also in the Annuaire colonial d’agriculture, du commerce et de l’industrie, 1893. They were targetting foreign residents. In 1894 Jean-Marie Le Priol, brother-in-law of Pierre Dieulefils, opened a commercial studio in Hanoi. Around this time the following Vietnamese studios were also in operation. Sin Ky (or H[oang] Sin Ky) was at Bac Ninh and Khuu Thinh Duc operated out of Saigon with his studio advertised in the Annuaire general de la photographie, 1896–9. The Chinese studio of Lai Fong was based somewhere in Tonkin. By 1897 Luong Anh was operating in Cholon and was still there in 1909 as can be seen from the advertisements carried in the Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897, and the Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1909. Another Vietnamese studio by the name of Dang Bich was also based in Cholon and advertised in the Annuaire de l’Indochine, 1897, and Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897. He was also in business until at least 1905. Léon Rodet (1867–1902) operated a Saigon studio until around 1901 and was listed in the 1897 editions of the Annuaire général de l’Indochine and the Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies. Nothing appears to be known about the Frenchman Jumillard who operated out of Hanoi. He is listed in the Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897, and Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1900 and 1901. Another French photographer with the name of J. Dintilhac operated a studio in Hanoi at the end of the ninteenth century until around 1905. Finally, a mysterious photographer recognized only by the initials H. B. appearing on the face of the prints captured some interesting scenes and portraits across Vietnam. In most of the above cases, we only know of these studios because their names appear on the mounts of surviving photographs, and further research is required to understand more about their photographic activities.

52. Anonymous. Opium Smoker, Saigon, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 143

53. L. Rodet. Rue Catinat, Saigon, 1890s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 144

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 145

54. L. Rodet. Small booklet of 18 photographs taken in and around Saigon, 1897–1900. Author’s Collection.

55. Anonymous. ‘Marchés de Bac Ninh’, 1880s, albumen print. Signed ‘H. B.’. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 146

56. Anonymous. Gold and steel helmet possibly belonging to Nguyen Tri Phuong (1806–73), 1880s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 147

57. Anonymous. Hon Gay panorama (five-part), 1880s, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 148

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 149

58. Anonymous. Vaccination at Cholon, Saigon, c.1890, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

59. Anonymous. Yao ethnic minority at market, Bao Lac, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 150

60. Anonymous. Yao ethnic minority, Bao Lac, c.1890, silver print. Author’s Collection.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s)

151

NOTES 1

2

It is intriguing to speculate whether Wegener is Otto Wegener (1849–1924), the famous Parisian portrait photographer who set up his studio in the French capital in 1883. See http://rittsel.weebly. com/otto-wegener.html (accessed December 2017). The same notice appeared in the Journal l’Independant de Saigon on 27 February 1883, except that the date of the inception of the partnership was given as 2 March 1882. Translation: DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY. Next act under private signatures, dated at Saigon, 19 February 1883, Mr. ANTOINE VIDAL, photographer, residing in Saigon, rue Rigault de Genouilly, And Mr. EUGÈNE SALIN, photographer, residing in Saigon, rue Rigault de Genouilly, Declared outright, as from the day of the said act, to have dissolved the partnership under the belowmentioned name: SALIN AND VIDAL. And this next act under private signatures in quadruplicate in Saigon on 29 March 1882. Any objections with regard to Mr. Salin, will be received by Mr. Jouvet, rue Rigault de Genouilly. A duplicate of the said act of dissolution was deposited on the 22 February 1883, at the clerk of the Saigon Peace Court and at the clerk’s office of the Commercial Court of Saigon. extract: Sign: P.-A. Lefebre.

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11 12 13 14 15

Although there is no direct evidence of his studio’s existence at this date, the 31 August 1881 issue of the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française records the arrival in Saigon on board the Mytho of ‘Mme Salin, femme d’un photographe’. Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française, 18 June 1885, p. 840. [‘Mrs. Salin has the honour to inform the public that she continues to run the photography workshop her husband ran on rue Catinat. The reopening will be on 1 July, with a complete assortment of beautiful views taken in Cochinchina, Cambodia and Tonkin. The creditors during the lifetime of her husband are asked to submit their bills, as well as the debtors to be released in the shortest possible time’.] Journal l’Independant de Saigon, 3 March 1883. [‘Photography Gsell, Vidal, Successor, Rue Rigault-deGenouilly, 10. The debtors of the house SALIN and VIDAL are requested to liquidate their accounts within eight days. Mr VIDAL, the sole owner of the establishment, informs the Saigon public that he can execute all the orders that will be entrusted to him. Price reductions in the sale of views and photographic types, depending on the quantities taken’.] Journal l’Independant de Saigon, 5 January 1884. [‘Vidal succession. M. Vidal, a photographer in Saigon, who died on December 4, has named his executor, Mr Laplace, a commercial broker in Saigon. The creditors of the estate are requested to deposit with Mr Laplace, rue Catinat, 57, their debt obligations referred to by the President of the Civil Court of Saigon. Debtors are invited to settle as soon as possible’.] Journal l’Independant de Saigon, 17 January 1884. [‘Offers are invited for the photography equipment and studio of the VIDAL estate. Composed of a large number of photographs: Views and Types of Cambodia, Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin (old Gsell collection). A large number of Photographs also from Cambodia, Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin. Ten different camera lenses, 1 satin press, mirrors and boxes for photographs, card, paintings, papers, chemicals, etc., etc. Contact Messrs. Bernard Fleith and E. Laplace, Catinat Street’.] Joachim K. Bautze, Unseen Siam: Early Photography 1860–1910, Bangkok: River Books, 2016, p. 209, cites Thierry Vincent, Pierre Dieulefils: Photographie d’Indochine, Gignac-la-Nerthe: Imprimerie Borel et Feraud, 1997, pp. 27, 40–1. At present the most detailed account of Martin’s activities is given in Bautze, Unseen Siam, pp. 208–14. The 1908, 1909 and 1911 editions of Annuaire général de l’Indochine list him as a photographer at Do Son. John Falconer, Van Bombay tot Shanghai: From Bombay to Shanghai, Amsterdam: Stichting Fragment Foto and Rotterdam: Museum voor Volkenkunde, 1994. Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1888. The 1890 edition shows that the studio address had changed to rue l’Espagne. Bautze, Unseen Siam, p. 210. Straits Times, 25 August 1890, p. 2, cited by Bautze. Falconer, Van Bombay tot Shanghai. Bautze, Unseen Siam, pp. 209–12. Translation: [F. H. SCHNEIDER PRINTER-EDITOR. – HANOI – HAIPHONG SPECIAL WORKSHOP

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 152

16

17 18 19

20

21 22

23 24

25 26 27

28 29

30

Photography and Photoengraving Reproduction, in half-size, of the central leaf of the Hanoi Panorama in seven leaves 18 x 24cm. Photograph was taken from the top of the new theatre (34 metres in height). This panorama, total dimensions 1m. 50cm is on sale at the price of: Leaves not glued 10fr. Corner-mounted on quality board. 15fr. VIEWS Tonkin, Annam, Cochin China and Cambodia 13 x 18, 18 x 24 and 24 x 30 formats MORE THAN 3,000 PHOTOS The most important collection of Indochina.] Schneider’s activities are recorded in the Marie-Hélène Degroise website, Photographes d’Asie (1840– 1944), http://photographesenoutremerasie.blogspot.co.uk. See also Philippe Franchini and Jérôme Ghesquière, Des photographes en Indochine, Paris: Marval, 2001, pp. 236–7. Degroise, website. Family website, www.pierre–dieulefils.com/ (accessed March 2017). For Dieulefils, see Degroise and Dieulefils family website, www.pierre–dieulefils.com/. Also Thierry Vincent, Pierre Dieulefils. Information on Khanh Ky has been taken from Delgroise, website; an article dated 1 June 2010 from the Saigon Giai Phong Online http://sggpnews.org.vn/culture_art/country-celebrates-vietnamsfather-of-photography-45837.html (accessed 15 August 2017); and from the website article dated 3 June 2017, https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2017/06/lai-xa-village-the-birthplace-ofvietnamese-photography/ (accessed 15 August 2017). The author has a Khanh Ky Hanoi studio portrait of a French lady dated 31 March 1941. See the Talbot studio cabinet card in Appendix 5 overwritten with ‘A. Pestel Successeur’. According to Loan de Fontbrune (ed.), Les premiers photographes au Viet Nam, Paris: Éditions Riveneuve, 2015, Pestel began his professional career in 1892. However, it is probable that Pestel’s studio was in operation by 1887 at the latest. See, for example, the album in the author’s collection, Ref: IND-A-110. Moreau’s studio is mentioned in the 1897 edition of Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies françaises, and in the 1902 publication of Annuaire général de l’Indochine. Perhaps the name ‘Pasnat’ is really ‘Passignat’. The latter was a merchant, according to Degroise, and published many Moreau photographs in postcard form after Moreau’s studio ceased to operate. See the provisional list of numbers for the Moreau studio in Appendix 2. See National Archives (AN SOM NOT Indochine 92), 3 March 1885. References: Wd 322 and Wd 323. The former is illustrated in Franchini and Ghesquière, Des photographes en Indochine, p. 84. Annuaire de la Cochinchine et du Cambodge, 1889. François Boisjoly and John-Christophe Badot, Répertoire des photographes français d’outre-mer du XIXe siecle, Paris: Héritage, 2013, p. 198, gives Yu Chong’s real name as Y-Isung, but not the source. In the 1911 Annuaire général de l’Indochine, the photographer’s real and trading names are listed as LuongLoi-Tchiou and Yu-Chong respectively. The author is grateful to photo-historian Gael Newton for sharing her research notes.

COMMERCIAL STUDIOS (1880s–1890s) 153

CHAPTER 5

Charles-Édouard Hocquard (1853–1911): Photographer of the 1884–5 Sino-French War a

H

ocquard was a French military doctor and amateur photographer born in SaintNicolas-de-Port, northeastern France in 1853. Although he did not operate a commercial studio, the quality of the work he produced ensured his legacy as one of the finest of the early photographers in Vietnam. He was the son of Pierre-Édouard Hocquard, a tanner, and Marie Dumange. He studied medicine at the military hospital Val-de-Grâce in Paris, qualifying on 30 December 1875. He was then attached to the 16th regiment of Horse in January 1878, then the 99th infantry regiment at Lyon. In 1882 he moved to the thermal hospital at Bourbonne-lesBains. By this time he had developed a passion for photography and had contributed in 1881 to a medical paper entitled Iconographie photographique appliquée à l’ophtalmologie (Photographic Iconography Applied to Ophthalmology). He volunteered to join the French expedition to Tonkin under the command of General Millot and was accepted as a medical doctor of the second class with the rank of major. He was also nominated as the official photographer, travelling in the company of the official artist Gaston Roullet (1847–1925). He left the port of Toulon on 11 January 1884 on board the government transport ship Annamite and arrived in the Gulf of Tonkin on 15 February. At this time France sought control over the whole of Vietnam, and to achieve this needed to break the hold that China held over the north of the country. A war between China and France broke out on 11 May 1884 and continued until a treaty was signed on 9 June 1885, when control of Annam and Tonkin was ceded to the French. In January or February 1885 Hocquard was allowed to photograph Emperor Dong Khanh. This occasion appears to be the first time that a Vietnamese emperor had sat before a camera, or at least a foreign one. Hocquard exhibited nine albums of photographs at the Antwerp Universal Exhibition in 1885 and was awarded the gold medal. On 25 July 1885 the Hanoi newspaper l’Avenir du Tonkin announced the sale of an album of Tonkin views edited by Henri Cremnitz. Hocquard’s work appears in albumen print and woodburytype formats. The newspaper did not make clear which type was being offered. Hocquard’s work was exhibited at the 1887 Hanoi Exposition.1 However, he had not sought permission from the military to show his work and this did not go down well

with the authorities. He was reprimanded, and as a result it was not until several years later that he was able to obtain consent to publish an account of his time in Vietnam. The first version appeared as a series of articles in 1889 and 1891 in Le Tour du Monde under the title ‘Trente mois au Tonkin’. He then published the book for which he is best known, Une campagne au Tonkin (1892). Hocquard left Vietnam for France sometime between February and May 1886.2 Despite his medical work in the field, he had found time to take a significant number of photographs, of which more than 250 are known. His war scenes, portraiture and landscape work show extraordinary talent. Although a product of his time and a believer in expanding France’s colonial undertaking in Vietnam, Hocquard took great interest in the activities of the local population, and his photographs of their customs and practices show considerable empathy and curiosity. In speaking of the Vietnamese, he writes, ‘In France, the Annamese are still considered to be savages by a good number of people. Nevertheless, they possess a civilisation that is older than ours and which, while it is completely different, is neither less accomplished nor less refined.’3 On his return to France in 1886, Hocquard was assigned to the 65th infantry regiment at Paris. He married Louise Jeanne Quenouille on 19 April 1887, with whom he would have a son. In 1894 he joined an expedition to Madagascar as a senior army doctor and published L’Expédition de Madagascar, journal de campagne (1897). When he returned home, in 1896, he served with the 8th and then the 13th Corps d’armée. In 1907 he was appointed a medical inspector and in 1910 director of l’Ecole de Sante militaire at Lyon. He died there of influenza in 1911. His decorations included l’Ordre royal du Cambodge (Chevalier) in 1884 and l’Étoile d’Anjouan in 1895. Hocquard left behind an exceptional body of work and demonstrated a sincere appreciation for Vietnamese culture, history and traditions. He is rightly considered to be one of the finest photographers of nineteenth-century Vietnam and his growing reputation in the West and Vietnam is well deserved.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911) 155

1. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. ‘Femme Annamite’, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 156

2. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Tonkinese women, 1884–5, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

3. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Tonkinese women, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911)

157

4. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. French infantrymen, Franco-Chinese War, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 158

5. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. French-enlisted Chinese mercenaries, Franco-Chinese War, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911) 159

6. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. General Millot and staff, Franco-Chinese War, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 160

7. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. French troops in Tonkin, Franco-Chinese War, 1884–5, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

8. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Tonkinese art objects, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911)

161

9. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Tribunal at Hanoi, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 162

10. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Tong Doc [Governor] of Hanoi with staff, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

11. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Chinese and Annamese scholars with native militia looking on, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911) 163

12. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Chinese Fuzhou woman, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

13. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Regular Chinese soldier, Franco-Chinese War, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 164

14. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Watchtower at Son Tay citadel, Franco-Chinese War, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

15. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. General Brière de l’Isle and his Officers, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911) 165

16. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. West Gate at Son Tay after the assault by the Foreign Legion, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 166

17. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Tonkinese woman, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911)

167

18. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Hanoi lady, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 168

19. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Interpreters at Hanoi, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911) 169

20. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Mandarin in ceremonial costume, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 170

21. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Watchtower at Hanoi citadelle, 1884–5, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911)

171

22. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Main street, Bac-Ninh, 1884–5, woodburytype. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 172

CHARLES-ÉDOUARD HOCQUARD (1853–1911)

173

NOTES 1

2

3

[Henry Cremnitz, ed.], Le Tonkin: Vues photographiques prises par Mr le Dr Hocquard, medecin-major, Paris, 1886(?). According to Hocquard himself in Une campagne au Tonkin (1892), it was 15 February 1886, but according to Philippe Papin in his introduction to the new edition of Hocquard’s Une campagne au Tonkin published in 1999 by Edition Arléa, it was 19 April 1886. What is curious is that Hocquard’s first written account of his time in Vietnam was published in 1889 in Le Tour du Monde and is entitled ‘Trente mois au Tonkin’. Given that he arrived in January 1884, that would suggest a leaving date around July 1886. In Philippe Franchini and Jérôme Ghesquière’s Des photographes en Indochine (2001, p. 226) the date 31 May 1886 is given. Hocquard, Une campagne au Tonkin.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 174

CHAPTER 6

Selection of Twentieth-Century Photographers a

1. Anonymous. Street of Photographers, rue des Paniers, Hanoi, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

A

lthough this book sets out to document photography during the French colonial period (1850s–1950s), the emphasis has been on the early work carried out in the nineteenth century. At the dawn of the twentieth century there was very little that the French could teach the Vietnamese about taking good photographs, and indigenous studios were rapidly increasing in numbers across the country. The best native studios could match the French in quality of work, and they could undoubtedly undercut

them on price. It is true that the best cameras and equipment were manufactured in France and the West generally, and some French studios had been able to survive by shifting their focus to importing photographic supplies. Vietnamese photographers would continue to be influenced by new Western photographic trends in fields such as art photography, pictorialism and photojournalism. In addition, and unlike in other Asian countries such as China and Japan, where apart from a handful of intrepid survivors, foreign studios had succumbed to domestic competition and had largely withdrawn, Vietnam’s colonial status meant that the authorities were still able to favour French photographers by granting them occasional photographic assignments, some of which were lucrative. Examples of these were mentioned in Chapter 4. As a result, some French studios not only survived but prospered up until World War II, continuing with portrait and general photography and supplementing their income with the importation and sale of photographic paraphernalia. In sheer numbers, however, Vietnamese photographers and studios dominated. Very many fine photographers, both Vietnamese and foreign, produced work of exceptional quality during the first half of the twentieth century. Although it would be an impossible task to do justice to them all, some examples are included in the following pages. As this book has a self-imposed dateline linked to the French colonial period, what follows is a summary of some of the foremost photographers who were active up to the early1950s. We start with a selection of images taken by, as yet largely unidentified photographers.

1a. Edgar. Young woman carrying basket on head, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM

176

2. Anonymous. Sedang ethnic minority males, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS

177

3. Anonymous. Sedang ethnic minority hunter, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 178

4. Anonymous. Young female, c.1910, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS

179

5. René Tetart. Moi ethnic male, Haut Donai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 180

6. Anonymous. ‘Suyut [Hoan Binh province] -jeune femme Man’, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS

181

7. Anonymous. Moi People, Dak To, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

8. Anonymous. Moi woman with child, Dak To, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 182

9. Anonymous. Rade ethnic minority females, c.1950, silver print. Author’s Collection.

10. Anonymous. Rade ethnic minority couple, c.1950, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 183

11. Anonymous. Rade ethnic minority female, c.1950, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 184

12. Anonymous. Rade ethnic woman, c.1950, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 185

13. Anonymous. Sedang ethnic male, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

14. Anonymous. Natives of Lao Cai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 186

15. Anonymous. Married woman of the Man people, Lao Kay, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 187

16. Anonymous. Man Coc ethnic female, Pa Kha, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 188

17. Anonymous. Ou-Ni ethnic female, Lao Cai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 189

18. Anonymous. Yao Lan Tien ethnic minority female, Phong Tho, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 190

19. René Tetart. Lolo ethnic minority female, Lao Cai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS

191

20. René Tetart. Ou-Ni, ethnic minority male, Lao Cai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 192

21. René Tetart. Unidentified ethnic minority female, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 193

22. Anonymous. ‘Lao Kay [Cai], Femme Ba Y ou Ton Y’, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

23. René Tetart. Lu ethnic minority female, Lao Cai (Phong Tho province), c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 194

24. René Tetart. ‘Phong Tho. Femme Phine Tao Yao’, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 195

25. René Tetart. Infantryman, Hanoi, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

26. Anonymous. French officer with giant snake, northern Vietnam, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 196

27. René Tetart. Native of Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province), c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS

197

28. Anonymous. Da Lat – aerial view, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

29. Anonymous. Hue – aerial view, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 198

30. Anonymous. ‘Old Cholon market area prior to reconstruction’, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

31. Anonymous. Hanoi fair, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 199

32. René Tetart. Quang Yen, Halong Bay, October 1928, silver print. Author’s Collection.

33. René Tetart. Quang Yen, Halong Bay, October 1928, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 200

34. Anonymous. Governor General’s Palace, Hanoi, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

35. Léon Busy. Man Coc ethnic females, Cao Bang, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 201

36. René Tetart. Coconuts being transported by sampans, Phu Yen, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

37. Léon Busy. View taken from the villa Rochers towards the villa Mathurin, Kien-An, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 202

38. Anonymous. Mois female, 1952, silver print. Author’s Collection.

39. Anonymous. Out for a stroll, c.1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 203

40. René Tetart. Mother and child on steps of a pagoda in Hue, c.1925, silver print, Author’s Collection.

41. René Tetart. Young woman resting at Quang Yen, Halong Bay, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 204

42. René Tetart. Moi females at Haut Donai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

43. René Tetart. Musicians and dancers at Haut Donai, c.1925, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 205

44. Anonymous. Aero Mre. Indochine. Aerial view, Bac Ninh, c.1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

45. Anonymous. Aero Mre. Indochine. Aerial view, Cap St. Jacques, c.1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 206

46. Anonymous. Aero Mre. Indochine. Aerial view, Rue Paul-Bert, Hanoi, c.1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

47. Anonymous. Aerial view, Haiphong, c.1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 207

48. Anonymous. Aerial view, Hanoi, c.1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

49. Anonymous. Hon Gay rail workshop, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 208

50. Anonymous. Hanoi Exhibition, at the Palais d’Expositions,1902–3, silver print. Author’s Collection.

51. Anonymous. French Indochina War, 1953–4, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 209

52. Anonymous. French medical officer and Vietnamese child, French Indochina War, 1953–4, silver print. Author’s Collection.

53. Anonymous. Boulevard Charner, Saigon, aerial view, c.1930, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 210

54. Anonymous. Hon Gay with Halong Bay in the distance, c.1930, silver print. Author’s Collection.

55. Anonymous. Hanoi – aerial view, c.1924, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS

211

56. Anonymous. Hue, Ngo Mon Gate, 1920s, silver print. Author’s Collection.

57. Anonymous. Portrait of Ho Chi Minh, c.1950, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 212

LUDOVIC CRESPIN (1873–?)

In 1900 Ludovic Crespin opened his studio at 136-138 rue Catinat, Saigon, and continued in business until around 1925. For several years he also ran the outlet known as American-Photo from 10, boulevard Charner, Saigon. It is listed in the 1919 Annuaire

58. L. Crespin. ‘Souvenir De La Cochinchine Et Du Cambodge’, [1922]. Author’s Collection.

général de l’Indochine. Judging by its longevity, Crespin seems to have had a successful career and in 1921 purchased the studio of Georges Planté, who had himself in the past acquired the stock of previous studios, including that of Aurélien Pestel. As a result, Crespin’s publications and postcards have complicated the task of attributing the work of earlier photog- 59. L. Crespin. Postcard, c.1910. Author’s Collection. raphers. Crespin was also a publisher of photographically illustrated books and postcards. Perhaps his best-known work is Souvenir de la Cochinchine et du Cambodge: Album de propagande [1922], which was published to coincide with the opening of the 1922 International Exhibition in Marseilles. It is interesting that the mayor of Saigon observed at the time that Crespin was the only photographer possessing a complete and comprehensive collection of the city’s monuments and sites.1 R. V. HUÊ

61. R. V. Hue. Studio’s wet-stamp motif, c.1900. Author’s Collection.

Huê seems to have been a previously unrecorded itinerant Vietnamese photographer whose work is represented in an excellent surviving album of portraits and views taken in Ben Tre province, probably commissioned by the local French inspector of the post and telegraphs in around the year 1900, Photographie Cochinchinoise. R.V. Huê. Photographe Voyageur. Indo-Chine.2 Printed onto the tissue leaves separating the photographs is a blue wet-stamp motif.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 213

60. R. V. Hue. Theatrical performer, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 214

62. R. V. Hue. ‘Chefs des cantons de la Province de Ben Tre’, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection. GEORGES VICTOR PLANTÉ (1847–1921)

Planté entered the government’s customs service of Indochina in 1867. He served until around 1905, after which he set up a photo studio in Saigon. Planté seems to have acquired some of Aurélien Pestel’s and Ferdinand Négadelle’s negatives, which complicates attribution of his work since he continued to publish them under his name. He also produced postcards and seems to have had a successful career. His studio remained in Saigon until his death there in 1921. It was then taken over by Ludovic Crespin.3 HUONG KY

The Huong Ky studio was based in Hanoi, initially at 5 avenue Bichot, and it operated from around 1915 until at least 1936, and perhaps as late as 1950. The 1919 edition of the Annuaire général de l’Indochine listed studios at 18 rue de la Citadelle, Hanoi, and 72 avenue Paul Doumer, Haiphong. The studio published a series of views on Angkor Wat in the 1920s and

63. Georges Planté. Officer Portrait, c.1910, cabinet card, silver print. Author’s Collection

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 215

64. Huong Ky. ‘Mois Couple’, 1936, silver print. Author’s Collection.

65. Huong Ky. Emperor Bao Dai with Resident Superior Graffeuil on a visit to a Tonkin distillery, c.1936, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 216

an album of photographs commemorating the visit of Emperor Bao Dai to the distilleries of Tonkin.4 Huong Ky appears to be the studio name used by Tran Van Thanh, one of the more successful Vietnamese photographers who, by the 1920s, employed some seventeen staff. Around that time he received a commission from the French colonial authorities to photograph the redevelopment of Hanoi. In 1928 he was further commissioned to produce a report on the medical facilities and conditions in Tonkin, supplemented by a series of photographs of the ethnic tribes of the northern areas. The studio was also known for its excellence in portraiture.5

66. Huong Ky. Mother and child, 1920s, silver print. Author’s Collection. FERNAND NADAL

The life and career of Fernand Nadal are yet to be thoroughly researched but a large number of photographs and publications attest to his excellent camera craft. Born in Algeria, sometime between 1898 and 1902, he had moved to Indochina by 1921 and was living in Saigon working as a photographer at 150 rue Catinet. That same year he photographed the visit to Tonkin of Marshal Joffre. By 1922 he was already employing seven staff and receiving commissions from the office of the governor-general and the local business houses in Saigon. He had a branch studio in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and published photographic books and numerous postcards. It is not clear how long he remained active but we know he photographed the 1934 memorial ceremony in honour of Governor-General Pierre Pasquier, who had died in a plane crash. Postcards under Nadal’s name were still being published in the early 1950s.6

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 217

67. Fernand Nadal. Saigon-Dalat Railway workshop, c.1928, silver print. Author’s Collection.

68. Fernand Nadal. New market at Cholon, Saigon, 1928, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 218

69. Fernand Nadal. Saigon-Dalat Railway workshop, c.1928, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 219

70. Fernand Nadal. Stieng ethnic group, 1920s, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 220

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 221

71. Fernand Nadal. River scene, 1920s, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 222

72. Fernand Nadal. Street restaurant, Saigon, 1920s, silver print. Author’s Collection.

73. Fernand Nadal. Governor Blanchard de la Brosse arriving at Cholon, Saigon, to open the new market, 1928, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 223

74. Fernand Nadal. Double Catholic wedding at Saigon of the grand-daughters of Petrus Truong Vinh Ky, c.1936, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 224

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 225

75. Paul Gastaldy. ‘Village Soc Tong Manh-Femme Ta Monn’, c.1931, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 226

PAUL GASTALDY (fl. 1922–1932)

The photographer and publisher Paul Gastaldy operated his business from 136-138 rue Catinat, Saigon. His active dates are not known for sure and we know next to nothing about his life or business career. He seems to have started in Saigon around 1922 and continued there until at least 1932. He published a book of 36 views of Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in 1929 titled Au berceau des Rois Khmers. He also produced an impressive series of 131 silver-print views and portraits titled Cochinchine – Cambodge all signed by Gastaldy and contained in twelve portfolios and published between 1931 and 1932.

76. Paul Gastaldy. ‘Type De Vieil Homme Khme. Village de Ben Tiala. Cochinchine’, c.1931, silver print. Author’s Collection. VO AN NINH (1907–2009)

One of Vietnam’s most renowned and respected photographers, Vo was born in 1907 in Hanoi and began taking photographs seriously in 1932. In 1935 his photo ‘The Morning on the Red River’ was awarded the top prize by the Vietnam Art and Techniques Association. Three years later his photograph ‘Rowing Boat Offshore’ was given the top prize at a photo exhibition in Paris. After this he won many awards both at home and abroad. His reputation was cemented when he photographed the 1945 famine in Vietnam. In later life he photographed the aftermath of the bombing of Hanoi by the Americans in 1972. In 1991 he published his only book, A’nh Vo An Ninh.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 227

77. Paul Gastaldy. ‘Jeune Fille Stieng. Village de Binh Ninh. Cochinchine’, c.1931, silver print. Author’s Collection.

78. Paul Gastaldy. ‘Type de Stieng. Village de Binh Ninh. Cochinchine’, c.1931, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 228

79. Paul Gastaldy. Old woman, c.1931, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 229

80. Paul Gastaldy. Old man, c.1931, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 230

CHARLES ROBEQUAIN (1897–1963)

Born in Die (Drôme), France, Robequain served with distinction in the French army from 1916 to 1919, rising to the rank of lieutenant. Back in civilian life, and with a passion for geography, he studied the subject at the University of Lyon. After graduation he applied to study at the Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) in Hanoi, and he was there from 1924 to 1926. Although he would travel widely and spend time in Malaya, Indonesia and Madagascar, it was in French Indochina that he would concentrate his efforts and work as a pioneer of colonial and tropical geography. A prolific writer, he regularly illustrated the texts with his photographs although it is not clear where and when he studied the art.7 RENÉ TETART (fl. 1917–1926)

There does not seem to have been any serious research into the life of René Tetart. In 1916 he was working as a photographer in the Service photographique des Armées when he was transferred by the governor-general, Albert Sarraut, to the Mission photographique et cinématographique, which commenced operations in 1917. The aim of the new government-funded organization, which Tetart was asked to lead, was to ‘prises de vues photographiques et cinématographiques relatives aux ressources économiques, à l’ethnographie des populations et aux questions se rattachant à la meilleure connaissances du pays et de ses ressources’.8 Other than some Vietnamese operators and photographers, Tetart managed two other French photographers known as Lacroix and Brun. Of the three, only Tetart would remain with the mission until it ended in April 1926. His work was exhibited at the 1922 National Colonial Exhibition at Marseilles. An exceptional photographer, Tetart deserves greater recognition. OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS

Degroise mentions that Vo Chuan was a Vietnamese professional based at Hue who operated from 1920 to1939 and was known for photographs he made of the Khai Dinh Museum. He also produced an excellent album of the sites of the Imperial City.9 Tang Vinh was a talented photographer who was active in Hue from 1920 to around 1942. He produced an album, Fêtes Du Quarantenaire de S.M. Khai-Dinh Empereur D’Annam (1924), with forty-two photos and also published a series of photographs of the enthronement of Emperor Bao Dai in 1926. Only a few examples of the work of the Hanoi-based photographer Nghiem Xuan Thuc, have been identified. It seems that he was active in the 1930s. An interesting album in the author’s collection shows the visit to Thanh Hoa in March 1935 of Tu Cung, the Queen Mother and widow of Emperor Khai Dinh.10 Pierre Verger (1902–96), a native of Paris, took up a career as a photo-journalist at the age of thirty. A prolific publisher and photographer, his stunning close-up portrait work signals a keen interest in anthropology, evident from the many excellent examples which survive from his 1938 visit to Vietnam.11 Finally, Michel Huet (1917–96) was a very talented French photographer active in Vietnam in the late 1940s. Examples of his work can be found in Paul Lévy’s book Vietnam (1951).

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 231

81. Albert Rudomine. The future Empress Nam Phuong, aged eleven, 1925, carbon print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 232

82. Pierre Verger. Native of Moc Chau (Son La province), c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 233

83. Pierre Verger. Native of Ban Me Thuot (Dak Lak province), c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 234

84. Pierre Verger. Mother and child, Son La province, c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 235

85. Pierre Verger. Native of Ban Me Thuot (Dak Lak province), c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 236

86. Pierre Verger. Native of Pleiku (Gia Lai province), c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 237

87. Pierre Verger. Native of Hue, c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 238

88. Pierre Verger. Native of Kon Tum province, c.1938, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 239

89. Vo Chuan. Moi ethnic minority males, Kon Tum, c.1930, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 240

90. Vo Chuan. Imperial Palace, Tomb of Emperor Dong Khanh, Pavillon de la Stele, Hue, c.1930, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 241

91. Vo Chuan. Imperial Palace, Hue, Hien Nhon Gate, c.1930, silver print. Author’s Collection.

92. Vo Chuan. Front cover of album of 117 photos of Hue, c.1930. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 242

93. Tang Vinh. Front cover of album of 78 photos of the Emperor Bao Dai’s Reception at Hue, September 1932. Author’s Collection.

94. Tang Vinh. Front cover of album of 40 photos celebrating the 40th birthday of Emperor Khai Dinh, 1924. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 243

95. Tang Vinh. Meeting at Hue – Resident Superior, P. Pasquier, and senior court officials, 1924, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 244

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 245

96. Tang Vinh. List of attendees shown in Fig. 95. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 246

97. Tang Vinh. Emperor’s orchestra, Hue, c. 1930, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 247

98. Tang Vinh. Actors and Actresses of the Nguyen-Xuan-Lan Theatre, Nam Dinh, 1924, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 248

99. Tang Vinh. Hue, tomb of Emperor Thieu Tri, 1932, silver print. Author’s Collection.

100. Tang Vinh. Kien Trung Palace, Hue, 1932, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 249

101. Nghiem Xuan Thuc. Arrival of Tu Cung, widow of Emperor Khai Dinh at Thanh Hoa station, 1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 250

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 251

102. Nghiem Xuan Thuc. Arrival of Tu Cung, widow of Emperor Khai Dinh at Thanh Hoa, 1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

103. Nghiem Xuan Thuc. Departure from Hanoi of René Robin, the Resident Superior, 10 April 1927, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 252

104. Michael Huet. ‘Portrait de vieil homme Viet-Nam’, c.1950, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 253

105. Michael Huet. ‘Plateaux Moi, Jeune femme [From the Da Lat region]’, c.1951, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 254

106. F. Obscur. ‘Identification judiciaire et immigration’, 1902–3 Hanoi Exhibition, silver print. Author’s Collection.

107. Paris Photo (Ly Quang Thai). The Hanoi Plenary Council Meeting of Catholic missionaries, 1934, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 255

108. Paris Photo (Ly Quang Thai). The Hanoi Plenary Council Meeting, 1934, album of 151 silver prints. Author’s Collection.

109. Paris Photo (Ly Quang Thai). The Hanoi Plenary Council Meeting of Catholic missionaries, 1934, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 256

110. Paris Photo (Ly Quang Thai). The Hanoi Plenary Council Meeting – 17 bishops and 2 apostolics, 1934, silver print. Author’s Collection.

SELECTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS 257

NOTES 1

2 3

4 5 6

7

8

9 10 11

Degroise. In the 1910 Directory & Chronicle, ‘Dr. L. Crespin’ is shown to be running a hardware shop (Droguérie) and selling photographic products, as well as operating a photography studio. Both businesses are based at 134-136 rue Catinat, Saigon. Author’s collection, Ref: IND-A-21. Degroise. The 1910 Directory & Chronicle lists Planté selling photographs from 10, boulevard Charner, Saigon. Author’s collection, Ref: IND-A-87. Degroise. Tran Van Thanh is listed in the 1915 Annuaire général de l’Indochine. In 1925 Nadal published La Cochinchine: Album général illustré, which reproduced 456 photographs from his growing portfolio. See obituary in Pierre Gourou, Charles Robequain (1897–1963), Paris: Annales de géographie, 1964, no. 395. [‘To photograph and film the economic resources and ethnic populations so as to expand knowledge of the territory and its resources’.] The 11 May 1928 edition of the publication Cinémagazine mentions (p. 235) that Tetart was then in Saigon. Author’s collection, Ref: IND-A-48. Author’s collection, Ref: IND-A-90. See Jérôme Souty, Pierre Fatumbi Verger: Du regard détaché à la connaissance initiatique, Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 2007.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 258

Chronology of Photography in Vietnam (1845–1954) a

1845 12 June

1857 November/ December 1858 September

1862

1863

Using a daguerreotype camera Jules Itier takes the first photographs of Vietnam at Tourane (Da Nang), the first being of the Non Nay fortress and the second being of the bay and French warship Alcmène. Fedor Jagor takes a stereoview photograph of Vietnamese in Singapore, the earliest known portrait of Vietnamese. Paul-Emile Berranger takes photographs at Tourane. In 1858–9 he takes the earliest known photograph of Saigon and the earliest portrait of a Vietnamese in Vietnam. Vietnamese envoys, including Phan Thanh Gian, are photographed in Saigon sometime this year and engravings of these images appear in the 29 November 1862 issue of L’Illustration. Sometime this year Clément Gillet opens the first commercial studio in Vietnam at Saigon.

July–December Phan Thanh Gian leads an embassy to France and he and his colleagues are photographed by August Sachtler in Singapore, Robert de Cassien in Marseille and Fotografia Ingles in Naples. In Paris, studios known to have photographed them include Bayard Bertall, L. Cremière & Cie, L. Laffon Disderi and JacquesPhilippe Potteau. 1864

10 April

French naval officer and amateur photographer Octave de Bermond de Vaulx photographs in and around Saigon and engravings of his work appear in the 23 April 1864 issue of L’Illustration. Clément Gillet is the earliest known commercial studio operating in Vietnam and his first advertisement appears in the Courrier de Saigon, 10 April 1864. It offers portraits, cartes de visite, views of Cochinchine and Cambodia and stereoviews on glass and paper.

25 May

1865

1866 5 June

Charles Parant advertises his Saigon studio for the first time in the Courrier de Saigon, 25 May 1864. The advertisement refers to a Grand Panorama of Saigon and his imminent return to Paris. French naval officer Jules-Felix Apollinaire Le Bas photographs Saigon and engravings of his work appear in the 1 July 1865 issue of Le Monde Illustré. Émile Gsell leaves Saigon with the Mekong Expedition (1866–8) led by Doudart de Lagrée and travels to Cambodia where he photographs Angkor Wat.

24 June

Émile Gsell arrives at Angkor Wat and stays there until 1 July 1866 taking around twenty photographs.

3 August

August Sachtler (?–1874), a German national and professional photographer in Singapore, arrives in Saigon, announcing in the Courrier de Saigon on 5 August that he would stay for just two months. He offers portraits and views of Borneo, Siam, Penang and Singapore.

20 September

Émile Gsell advertises his rue Rigault de Genouilly Saigon studio in the Courrier de Saigon and offers views of the Angkor Wat ruins.

5 November

August Sachtler announces in the Courrier de Saigon that he now intends to stay for a maximum of a further four weeks and will operate out of Émile Gsell’s new studio.

1867

Émile Gsell appears in the Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1867, as ‘Gsell Photographe, rue Catinat’.

1 June

Opening of the Saigon branch of the Chinese Studio Pun Lun at rue Charner, announced in the 20 May issue of the Courrier de Saigon.

20 October

Émile Gsell in a studio advertisement announces his return from a trip to Cambodia (and possibly Angkor Wat) and availability of additional photographs from that place and also a panorama of Saigon.

December

John Thomson arrives in Saigon for probably his first visit and captures a series of views and portraits in and around Saigon.

1868

‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly, 19’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1868).

28 February

John Thomson leaves Saigon for Hong Kong via Singapore (Courrier de Saigon, 5 March 1868).

1869

Dang Huy Tru is probably the first Vietnamese commerical photographer and opens his studio in Hanoi under the name ‘Cam Hieu Duong lab’ and photographs the arrival of the French in 1873. ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly, 19’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1869). ‘Pun-Lun, Photographe, Rue Charner, 7’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1869).

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 260

24 May

Austrian photographer Wilhelm Burger stops in Vietnam on his way to China as official photographer to the K.K. Mission Nach Ostasien (September 1868–March 1870), but because of poor weather and the fleeting visit does not use his camera and instead buys a group of negatives, probably from Gsell.

1870

‘Pun-Lun, Photographe, Rue Charner, 7’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1870). ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly, 19’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1870). Around this time the Singapore studio of G. R. Lambert publishes cartes de visite of Vietnamese subjects taken in Gsell’s studio.

1871

‘Pun-Lun, Photographe, Rue Charner, 7’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1871). ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1871).

1872

Around this time the Pun Ky studio is operating in Saigon. ‘PunLun, Photographe, Rue Charner, 7’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1872). ‘Gsell Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1872). ‘Spencer, Photographe, Rues Catinat Et Vannier’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1872).

1873

The Vienna Exposition 1873 (1 May–31 October) awards Émile Gsell the Medal of Merit ‘pour ses albums photographiques’ and the announcement is made in the 20 December 1873 issue of the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française. ‘Gsell (E.) Photographe, Quai Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1873).

1874

Death of Dang Huy Tru. ‘Gsell (E.) Photographe, Quai Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1874).

March

Émile Gsell wins a silver medal, first class for his photography at the second Exposition agricole et industrielle de Cochinchine 1874 held at Saigon (Courrier de Saigon, 5 April 1874).

1875

‘Gsell Photographe, Quai Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1875). Around this time Yi Tcheung is operating a studio in Hanoi (Boisjoly and Badot, Répertoire des photographes français d’outre-mer du XIXe siècle, p. 196).

4–24 April

Émile Gsell is the photographer attached to Baron Brossard de Corbigny’s embassy to the court in Hue. Although denied permission by the authorities to use his camera it seems he does take some portraits and scenes, perhaps not in the immediate vicinity of the palace or citadel.

1876

‘Gsell (Émile) Photographe, Rue Rigault-De-Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1876).

November

Émile Gsell is with Alexandre de Kergaradec, French consul in Hanoi, whose task is to ascend the Red River. He takes many photographs of Hanoi and Tonkin from 23 November 1876 until January 1877.

CHRONOLOGY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 261

1877 5 March

Mme Ary-Jouanne studio opens (Courrier de Saigon), the first female commercial photographer in French Indochina.

20 November

A. Nicolier advertises ‘Vues Photographiques’, including a panorama of Saigon (Courrier de Saigon). Advertisements continued until 5 January 1878.

1878

Émile Gsell wins a bronze medal for his photography at the Exposition Universelle 1878 held in Paris. ‘E. Gsell. photographer, Rue Rigault de Genouilly, Saigon’ (Chronicle & Directory for China, Japan, etc. …, 1878). ‘Gsell, Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1878). ‘Ary-Jouanne (Mme) Photographe, Rue De Yokohama’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1878). Truong Van San has a studio in Hue.

22 June

Arrival of ‘Mr. Gsell’ at Singapore from Saigon possibly travelling to Marseilles (Straits Times Overland Journal).

1879

‘Gsell, Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1879). ‘Ary-Jouanne (Mme), Rue De Yokohama’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1879). According to Boisjoly and Bardot, Répertoire des photographes (p. 191), Tran Nguon Hon, a student in Paris and amateur photographer, is encouraged by the Société de Géographie to take photographs in Vietnam.

16 October

Death of Émile Gsell in Saigon at his home on the rue Rigault de Genouilly.

1880

A photographer known as Harnaud photographs ethnic females. Around this time a French military photographer named Jugant is based at the Saigon arsenal.

1881 22 January

Announcement in the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française that O. Wegener, a photographer, has acquired the stock of Émile Gsell and will operate from quai Rigault de Genouilly.

August

From the reference in the Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française reporting the arrival on 31 August of ‘Mme Salin, femme d’un photographe’, we infer that Eugène Salin is operating a Saigon studio from this date at the latest.

28 October

Arrival in Saigon of ‘Berthe, ouvrier photographe’ (Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française).

1882

Henry Célestin Girard (1862–1932) is a military doctor and amateur photographer who photographs ethnic minorities around Cao Bang at this time.

29 March

Formation of the partnership Salin & Vidal in Saigon.

1883

‘Salin, Photographe, Rue De Bankok’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1883). Truong Vinh Ky is a professional photographer at Saigon (Annuaire de la Cochinchine) operating under his Western name, Jean-Baptiste Pétrus. EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 262

19 February

The partnership of Salin & Vidal, based at rue Rigault de Genouilly, is terminated by mutual consent (Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française, 24 February 1883).

28 February

Arrival in Saigon from Toulon of ‘Mme Salin, femme d’un photographe civil’ (Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française, 3 March 1883, p. 270).

3 March

Antoine Vidal announces in L’Independant de Saigon that he has succeeded Salin & Vidal as sole proprietor and is the owner of Gsell’s photographic stock. ‘Vidal, Photographe, Rue Rigault De Genouilly 10’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine).

4 December

Antoine Vidal dies in Saigon.

1884

‘Salin, Photographe, Rue Catinat’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine). Mme Salin listed as working at rue Catinat in Lingères-Modistes (Annuaire de la Cochinchine). ‘Mme Montvenoux, Photographe’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine) is listed without an address (Saigon assumed) and appears to be the second female photographer in French Indochina. Between 1884 and 1888 military officer and amateur photographer Antoine Léchères (1860–?) takes photographs in Indochina during his tours of duty. Henry Mehier de Mathuisieulx (1860–after 1913) takes photographs during the Franco-Chinese War in northern Vietnam.

February

Charles Édouard Hocquard arrives in Tonkin as a military doctor and amateur photographer and takes more than 250 portraits and scenes, some of which are published in Le Tour du Monde (1889–91) and in his Une campagne au Tonkin (1892).

1885

‘Salin E., photographer, Saigon, Rue Catinat’ (Chronicle & Directory for China, Japan, etc. and Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1885). Firmin André Salles (1860–1929) is pursuing a military career in Indochina and in this year took an early photograph of Halong Bay. Around this time Yut Sun is operating from Hanoi and Haiphong. This year, Xavier Brau de Saint-Pol Lias (1840-1914), explorer and diplomat takes photos in Tonkin.

12 June

Death in Saigon of Eugène Salin.

1 July

The Journal officiel de la Cochinchine française of 18 June announces that Mme Salin, the widow of Eugène Salin, will reopen her late husband’s studio at rue Catinat on 1 July and will have on offer attractive views of Cochinchina, Cambodia and Tonkin. This year Pierre Dieulefils, having arrived in French Indochina as a military officer, starts taking photographs during the Tonkin Campaign (1885–7). Around this time Camille Paris (1834–1901) is appointed to work on the new telegraph line from Hue to Saigon and as an amateur photographer photographs the local populations, scenery and architecture.

1886

Around this time Ernest Millot (1836–91) photographs Haiphong and Hanoi.

CHRONOLOGY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 263

February–April Sometime between these dates Charles Édouard Hocquard leaves French Indochina and returns to France. March

Charles Lemire (1839–1912) begins taking photographs in Annam and Tonkin around this time and continues to do so until leaving the colony in 1894.

1887

Around this time Victor Fiévet (1865–?) operates as an amateur photographer in Than Hoa and Bac Ninh and some of his work later appears on postcards. Max Martin has a studio in Saigon at rue Catinat, Saigon (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1887).

May

F. Lacave Laplagne Barris, an amateur photographer and likely military officer, takes an interesting series of views in Saigon and Quang Yen between May 1887 and October 1888.

1888

Marie and Fanny Lemire, daughters of Charles Lemire, take photographs in Annam and Tonkin. From around this year until 1905 Capitaine Prévost de Sansac de Traversay, military officer and amateur photographer, takes photographs of Vietnam and his albums are preserved by the Bibliotèque nationale. Between 1888 and 1891 military officer and amateur photographer Gustave Ernest Trumelet-Faber (1852–1916) takes photographs in Annam and Tonkin while engaged in military operations. These are compiled in two albums and presented to the minister of war and are now at the Bibliotèque nationale. Around this time François-Henri Schneider is a printer, publisher and photographer in Hanoi and Haiphong and will continue in business until 1918.

May

Paul Dominique Simoni takes photographs in Annam and Tonkin.

July

Pierre Dieulefils opens a studio in Hanoi.

1889

Around this time the studio of Tong Sing is in operation and according to Degroise is located in Hanoi. W. C. Kuhrmeyer operates a studio at rue Nationale, Saigon (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1889). Yu Chong (real name Luong Loi Tchiou according to Degroise) operates a studio at 92 rue des Paniers, Hanoi. Colonial administrator Paul Guillaumot (1848–1919) becomes an amateur photographer while staying in Hanoi and takes a mixture of portraits and views.

May

Dieulefils exhibits his photographs in the Exposition Universelle, Paris, winning a bronze medal.

1890

‘Martin rue d’Espagne (Saigon) Photographe’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1890). Around this time Mi Cheong is operating a studio at ‘grand rue à côté du marché’, Haiphong. Auguste Pavie (1847–1925) was a French marine who became a colonial civil servant, explorer and diplomat famous for leading the Missions Pavie (1879–95). As an amateur photographer he uses his camera in Tonkin at around this time. Alexandre Yersin (1863–1943), a medical doctor and amateur takes photographs across Indochina and dies in a river accident. Around this time Yu Hing Tchon operates a studio from Hanoi, Hong Ky is operating from Ky Lua and Po Tsan is at Haiphong, as is Leong Kit. The unknown H. B. operated across Vietnam at around this time. EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 264

1891

‘Photographe, Talbot, Rue Rigault-De-Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1891). Louis Talbot (1853–?) will be succeeded by Aurélien Pestel in around 1893, judging by an L. Talbot studio carte de visite in the collection of Philippe Damas which is overprinted with the name Aurélien Pestel successeur. ‘Photographe, Nguyen-Van-Duc, Rue De Cai-Mai’ [Cholon] and ‘Photographe, Truong-Tong, (185) Rue Des Marins’ [Cholon], both in Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1891, 1892, Annuaire colonial d’agriculture, du commerce et de l’industrie, 1893. At this time the professional photographer Rigal is working with the Missions Pavie (1879–95) and is known to have photographed the royal tombs at Hue.

1892

‘Photographe, Talbot, Rue Rigault-De-Genouilly’ (Annuaire de la Cochinchine, 1892). Prince Henri d’Orléans (1867–1901) travels around Tonkin and takes photographs. Around this time Camille Paris photographs nudes in Tourane and Bac Ninh and Francois Sauvaire de Barthélémy is a military officer and amateur photographer who makes a number of official trips and ethnographic missions across Indochina. He publishes a number of articles and books and receives the Garnier prize from the Société de géographie in recognition for his work among the Moi. Khanh Ky (real name Nguyen Dinh Khanh) opens studios in Hanoi and at 54 boulevard Bonnard in Saigon.

1893

Around this time Aurélien Pestel (1855–97) takes over the Saigon studio of Louis Talbot. ‘Photographe, Truong-Tong, Rue Des Marins’ [Cholon] (Annuaire colonial d’agriculture, du commerce et de l’industrie, 1893). Sam Huy Nam, a Chinese, is listed at Hanoi in the 1893 Annuaire de l’Indochine as a photographer and painter. Also a Chinese, the photographer A Kit has a Haiphong studio mentioned in the same publication and was still there in 1915.

1894

Jean-Marie Le Priol, brother-in-law of Dieulefils, opens a commercial studio in Hanoi.

1895

Charles Haffner (1857–?), an Indochina civil servant since 1881, is a keen amateur photographer and takes pictures of the local tribes in Thu Dau Mot at around this time, while Sin Ky is operating a studio at Bac Ninh and Lai Fong has a studio somewhere in Tonkin (see Boisjoly and Bardot, Répertoire des photographes français, p. 191). Boisjoly and Bardot also refer to Decagny and Suais as having studios in Hanoi at around this time (pp. 193, 196) and on p. 199 refer to the Saigon studio of Khuu Thinh Duc at 89 rue Charner (Annuaire général de la photographie, 1896–9).

1897

‘Dang-Bich, photographe, 116 rue des Marins’ [Cholon] (Annuaire de l’Indochine française, 1897) and (Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897). ‘Luong-Anh, photographe, 185 rue des Marins’ [Cholon] (Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897). Death in Saigon on 24 May of Aurélien Pestel. Some time this year professional Raphael Moreau establishes a studio at 39 boulevard Dong Khanh, Hanoi, and publishes numerous postcards from the

CHRONOLOGY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 265

early 1900s and may well have exhibited his work at the 1902 Exposition Internationale de Hanoi. The mountainous regions of Annam are photographed by Jean-Marc Bel (1895–1930). Léon Rodet is operating a studio at 45 rue Nationale, Saigon (No. 15 according to Degroise who states that the studio operated from 1897 to 1900 (Annuaire général de l’Indochine; Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897). Jumillard is a professional operating out of boulevard Gia Long, Hanoi. (Annuaire agricole, commercial et industriel des colonies, 1897; Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1900, 1901). 1898

Alfred Raquez (1865–1907) arrives in Vietnam and lives in Hanoi where he befriends photographer and publisher François-Henri Schneider. Although known principally for his photography in Laos, Raquez also photographs in Vietnam and many of his works are reproduced as postcards.

1899

J. Dintilhac has a studio at 18 rue de la Citadelle, Hanoi, until around 1906.

1900

Around this time R. V. Huê produces an album of views and portraits taken in Ben Tre, Bat Ri, Mo Cay and Saigon. Tai Hing operates a studio in Tonkin. Dai Quan operates a studio from an unknown location. Photographie Vallat studio is in Hanoi and produces postcards. Vinh Xuan is operating from Dap Cau and Woa-Fong is operating from Hue. Pierre Dufresne operates a studio at 13 boulevard Amiral de Beaumont, Haiphong. This year Pierre Dieulefils wins a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle, Paris. J. P. Trong has a studio at 134 rue Catinat, Saigon (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1900). According to Degroise, his full name was Jean-Pierre Trong and he succeeded Louis Talbot. Mme Terray is at 134-136 rue Catinat, Saigon, and is still operating there in 1909 (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1900). Her work appears as postcards under the imprint ‘Collection G. Wirth’. Georges Wirth is an amateur who operates a grocery store from 120 rue Catinat. Ludovic Crespin opens his studio at 136-138 rue Catinat, Saigon. Jiroullet is a professional photographer according to the Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1900, but his studio address is not known.

1901

The Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1901, lists the following studios: A Sing in Hue. A Dong in Haiphong. Pham Ngoc Duong at 134 rue Catinat, Saigon. Shun Ky at 4 rue des Pipes, Hanoi. Ich Sanh Lao at rue de la Citadelle, Hanoi. Tsanh Liem Tac (real name Kam Wo according to Degroise), at 59 rue des Paniers, Hanoi. Van Tong Sine operates a studio in Lang Son.

1902

This year Pierre Dieulefils starts a successful business manufacturing and distributing postcards of his work. Charles Lemire is retired in France but exhibits his work at the Exposition Universelle, Paris. Flavien Marie Obscur (1874–1907) takes photographs of schools in the Gia Dinh region for the Exposition de Hanoi 1902 (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1902). This year J. Antonio, with studios in Hanoi and Bangkok, publishes an album of the 1902 Exposition de Hanoi. Victor Goedorp (1874–1963) traveller, writer and photographer visited Vietnam this year. EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 266

1904

Around this time one of the key postcard manufacturers is the Hanoibased merchant M. Passignat but it is not known whether he took his own photographs.

1905

Around this time A Ping operates a studio in Haiphong at 57 rue du Commerce. Yan Vo (real name Tze Yao) is operating from 5 du boulevard Paul Bert, Haiphong and is still there in 1911. O. J. A. Viana is operating in Lao Kay but nothing is currently known about him. Dam dat Dinh is installed at ruelle des Mousses, Cholon. Mach Tu is also operating from Cholon at 171 rue des Marins. Quan Yam Ky (real name Heng Xuou Ho, according to Degroise) is at 74 rue du Coton, Hanoi. Tanh Long is at the same address (the name is rendered Thanh Long in the 1909 Annuaire général de l’Indochine) and is active until 1920 according to Degroise. Le Dinh Hung is at 5 avenue Bichot, Hanoi where the studio was still based in 1909 and by 1911 was at 47 boulevard Bonnal, Hanoi. According to Degroise, the Saigon studio of Georges Victor Planté is established at 10 boulevard Charner and continues until his death in 1921. Mie Ky is operating in Hanoi from 18, rue de la Citadelle and by 1915 (Annuaire général de l’Indochine) the address was 56 rue du Coton and the studio was also selling jewellery. Shun Ky is probably the successor to Po Tsan and is operating in Haiphong at around this time. Hoa Xuong is operating from Cholon (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1905). Pierre Le Van Ba operates a studio from 95-97 boulevard Charner, Saigon (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1905, 1908–12). The amateur photography club Photo-club Saigonnais is formed. Lieutenant Edgar Imbert (1873–1915), a military officer, takes some 2,000 ethnographic photographs in Tonkin between 1905 and 1908. ‘Luong-Anh, photographe, 185 rue des Marins’ [Cholon] (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1905).

1906

Around this time Dong Pho has a studio in 78 rue des paniers, Hanoi, and his studio continues until at least 1915 (Annuaire général de l’Indochine) when its listing also mentions activities as a retailer and manufacturer in fabrics and knitwear.

1907

Raymond Bonal is operating from Haiphong at around this time and is still trading in 1922. Many of his photographs appear as postcards. The 1908 and 1909 Annuaire général de l’Indochine give his first name as Raymond whereas Degroise refers to Raoul. From 1908 he appears to operate from 18 boulevard Paul-Bert, Haiphong. Around this time and until 1912, Gabrielle Vassal, of English extraction and married to Dr Joseph Vassal, is an amateur photographer and travels with him across Annam. In 1912 she published a book, Mes trois ans d’Annam, which included some of her photographs.

1908

Around this time Loc Tzu Woo operates a studio from Hongay. P. Machet photographs in and around Saigon and his work also appears in postcards. Surviving cabinet cards show the work of the Saigon studio of J. Dong situated at 93, boulevard Charner and the 1915 Annuaire général de l’Indochine lists him at 95-97. Watanabe (probably H. Watanabe), Photographe Japonais, operates from 25 rue de Tientsin, Hanoi.

CHRONOLOGY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 267

A certain Cornu is listed as a photographer at 8 rue de la Citadelle, Hanoi, in the 1908 Annuaire général de l’Indochine. In the same publication, Joseph Brignon is mentioned as a photographer and working with Ludovic Crespin at 19 boulevard Bonnard and 134 rue Catinat, Saigon. It seems that by 1912 he had left Crespin to set up his own studio. The otherwise unknown Auguste Thiriat has his photographs of a ‘pirate’ being executed published in L’Illustration, 4 July 1908. P. Le Phat Vinh photographs a Western pipe-smoker, possibly in Marseilles where he was domiciled. He is listed this year in the Annuaire général de l’Indochine as a French citizen working or settled in Cholon. The same directory lists the otherwise unknown Crespel working at 37 rue Legrand de la Liraye, Saigon. 1909

Huynh Dinh Co. is in Da Nang at this time and a carte-sized photo exists in the Philippe Damas collection with the date inscribed on the reverse. Vietnamese photographer Ng Thi Hai is listed as operating a studio in Hanoi from 5 avenue Bichot (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1909).

1910

Around this time An Cheong Long operates a studio in Hue, as does the Photo Machet Saigon studio. Y. Tsung is at 92 rue Des Paniers, Hanoi. Photo Truong Quoi is operating from an unknown address. Tran Dinh Quan has a studio in Hanoi, according to Degroise. Also in Hanoi is Dang Ky at 74 rue des Changeurs. Chanson is referred to as a cafetier and photographer in Hanoi (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1910).

1911

The publication Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1911, lists Japanese photographers Kurihara and Kaminota at Hanoi, operating from 43 rue du Lac and Yong Tchuong operating from 85, rue des Paniers, Hanoi. Sam Seck Kong also trades in chinoiseries – his name is given as Sam Sech Kong in the 1915 Annuaire général de l’Indochine.

1912

Tran Van Dong operates a studio in Saigon (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1912).

1914

Between this year and 1917, Léon Jean Victor Busy took autochromes in Vietnam. These are now held by the Albert Kahn Museum in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

1915

Between 1915 and 1931 the Aéronatique militaire d’Indochine, commissioned by Albert Sarraut and managed by Henry Wintrebert, produces very many aerial photographs of Indochina. Wintrebert also played a part in forming the Mission photographique et cinématographique. Around this time the Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1915, lists Huong Ky (real name Tran Van Thanh) operating out of 5 avenue Bichot, Hanoi. The Japanese photographer Navahiko Yamada is at 26 rue de la Citadelle, Hanoi. Victor Fauvel operates a studio at 36 boulevard Paul-Bert, Haiphong, and is the successor to Raymond Bonal, according to Degroise. S. Watanabe, Photographe Japonais, operates from rue des Paniers, Hanoi, and also publishes postcards and is almost certainly related to H. Watanabe. Operating from 10 boulevard Charner, Saigon, is American-Photo, which is part of the Crespin business. EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 268

1917

René Tetart is put in charge of the Mission photographique et cinématographique and remains involved until 1926.

1918

Until 1934 the Agence générale de l’Indochine is tasked with publishing and keeping records, including maps and photographs of French colonial activity in Indochina. It is the successor to the Agence de l’Indochine, which was founded in 1903 by Governor-General Beau.

1919

The Dieulefils studio in Hanoi is acquired by A. Levray, about whom nothing is known. Van Xuan has a studio at 12, rue des Pipes, Hanoi and is active until around 1935, according to Degroise. The Japanese studio of T. Mori is at boulevard Bonnard, Saigon (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1919).

1920

Around this time Lucienne Delmas takes portraits of native tribes in Dalat. Based on a signed surviving portrait of a native woman in Vietnam, a photographer known as Edgar is operating. Huu Tao has a studio in Qui Nhon and photographs the Binh Dinh province for the governor-general of Indochina. Photo-Soctrang operates a studio in an unknown location. Thang Long Photo operates from Rach Gia. According to Degroise, Nguyen Duyen is a professional photographer based at 138 rue Catinat, Saigon, possibly working with Crespin or even becoming his successor. Phuc Ky Photo is established at Thai Nguyen. Tang Vinh is active in Hue from 1920 to 1935 according to Degroise, up to at least 1942 based on photos in the author’s collection, and produces an album, Fêtes Du Quarantenaire de S.M. Khai-Dinh Empereur D’Annam (1924) with forty-two photos. Vo Chuan is based at Hue operating from 1920 to 1939 and is known for photographs of the Khai Dinh Museum. Vu Van Yuan operates a studio at Tuy Hoa until 1935 according to Degroise and provides the French authorities with photographs of the Karom, Phamang and Donnai regions in preparation for the 1931 Exposition colonial. Vinh Long photographs the railway line at Phu Lang Thuong, and the 1923 and 1924 editions of Annuaire général de l’Indochine both list his studio at Mong Cai. The 1920 Annuaire général de l’Indochine lists the following photographers stationed at Hanoi working for L’Aéronautique d’Indochine: Emile Clouet, Edouard Mariau, C. G. Triclin, Georges Fabre, Pierre Bouret and Jules Bayol. The Saigon station lists Gaston Menigoz. Around this time, French photo-journalist Mle Gilberte Rabut was taking photographs in Vietnam.

1921

Fernand Nadal opens a studio at 150 rue Catinat, Saigon. Georges Victor Planté dies in Saigon. Around this time Auguste Gabriel Paullessen operates his studio known as Saigon Photo at 10 boulevard Charner from where he publishes postcards and photographs of the visit this year of Marshal Joffre. It appears that in this year he took over the business of Planté, possibly in combination with Crespin, and then continues until at least 1925. The former military officer and colonial administrator Léon Jean Victor Busy (1874–1951), in anticipation of the 1922 exposition in Marseilles, is instructed to take photographs of the imperial tombs at Hue and the scenery of Halong Bay. By 1926 he is head of the photographic section of l’Office CHRONOLOGY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 269

indochinois de tourisme et de propaganda, essentially responsible for archiving and publishing all of the official photographic documentation relating to Indochina. 1922

Around this time Bich Ky is operating a studio at 112, rue Ninh Xa, Bac Ninh. Namky Photo Artistique of 157 rue Tiên An, Bac Ninh is also in operation. Paul Gastaldy is operating a studio at 136–138 rue Catinat, Saigon, and photographing widely in Indochina, Angkor, Bangkok and Siam. Henry Blum is operating a studio from Lang Son, although he is perhaps an amateur (Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1922). He photographs the arrival in Hanoi in 1925 of Governor-General Varenne and the flooding of the Red River in the same year.

1923

In this year Fernand Nadal produces a photographic report on La Bien-Hoa Industrielle, a company which has the monopoly on timber production in Indochina.

1924

Kinh Mon photographs the Maison de Conseil de Bang Bo at around this time. Tang Vinh operates a studio from the Citadel, Hue, and publishes an album celebrating Emperor Khai Dinh’s fortieth birthday. Télémaque Regnard (1898-1980) is in Hanoi 192426 with the Mission photographique et cinématographique.

1925

Around this time Paris Photo – Haiphong studio photographs the construction of the new Haiphong Military Barracks. Thuong Ky Photo studio is operating in Thu Dau Mot. Japanese photographer Yamada is operating from a studio in Hanoi. According to Boisjoly and Bardot in Répertoire des photographes français, p. 196, this studio commenced activities around 1890. It may well be the Navahiko Yamada studio listed in 1915 in Annuaire général de l’Indochine. Artist. Photo. P. T. has a number of surviving views of Annam with its blind stamp shown on the bottom right corner of prints. Artiqtiq Hanoi is in operation. Thuoc Chuong is a professional in Nam Dinh according to Degroise. Annuaire général de l’Indochine, 1925, lists the following: Mme Clouet (perhaps related to Emile Clouet) is listed as providing sporting photos from 17 rue Borgnis-Desbordes, Hanoi; J. Davant is operating a studio from Soc Trang; Chanson & Cie operate from 58 rue Paul-Bert, Hanoi. Fernand Nadal publishes his book La Cochinchine: Album général illustré containing 456 copper engravings. Author and amateur photographer Harry Hervey photographs Saigon. The future Empress Nam Phuong is photographed aged eleven in Paris by the French photographer Albert Rudomine (1892-1975).

1927

Fernand Nadal photographs the Exposition Saigon Coloniale. Vo An Ninh takes his first photographs.

1928

In this year and 1929 Fernand Nadal photographs the inauguration of the Saigon to Dalat Railway and also photographs the opening of the new Cholon Market.

1929

Tran Ngoc Loan is based in Dalat and produces an album of thirty-five photographs of Lang Bian which are exhibited at the 1931 Exposition Coloniale Internationale.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 270

1930

Around this time Central Photo Hanoi is established. Photo Loan studio is operating from Da Lat. The professional photographer An Vinh operates in Tonkin between 1930 and1939 (Degroise). A photographer known as Manicus is working for the Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Thai Sanh is active in My Tho and works for Gastaldy as well as the governor-general of Indochina. Thanh Ba is in Hue and also publishes postcards. Vien Lai operates a studio in Ben Tre. Martin Hürlimann (1897–1984) photographs the ruins of Champa. Hermann Norden takes photographs in Indochina for his book A Travers L’Indo-Chine (1931). Tonkinois Photo operates out of Vinh. Dang Binh Nam is at Lang Son. Dominique Phuc operates out of Tra Vinh. Dong Da is at Saigon. Anh Vien is at Dalat. Provence Photo is at Saigon. Photo Luonghuu is at Cholon. Fernand Nadal photographs the official visit to Hanoi of the governor of the Philippines. Professional photographers Dinh Ngoc Chan, Nguyen Huy Ky and Thu Hoanh are hired by Léon Jean Victor Busy to help him prepare photographs for the 1931 Paris-based Exposition Coloniale Internationale. Dao Van Than, who has worked at the Nadal and Khanh Ky studios, is also hired, as is Nguyen Van Bai. Around this time Dong Da and Provence Photo are operating studios in Saigon. Anh Vien is practising from Dalat and Photo Luonghuu from Cholon. Photo-Annam and Hing Thuong are practising from Chau Doc.

1931–2

Paul Gastaldy publishes a fine series of 131 silver prints in 12 portfolios showing portraits and scenes in Indochina. At the 1931 Exposition coloniale internationale Thuan Ky of Vinh Long exhibits a portfolio of photographs on rice cultivation and Tranh Van Sao, a professional in Can Tho, also submits photos.

1933

D. Q. appears to be a professional photographer and publishes an album of the flood in Cao Bang. Télémaque Regnard (1898-1980) is head of the photo section of the aéronautique militaire d’indochine May 1933 until 6 November 1936. He served in the 34 régiment d’aviation. In 1924-26 he was based in Hanoi with the aeronautic division.

1934

Paris Photo (Thai Ly Quang) Hanoi studio photographs the Plenary Council meeting in Hanoi. Le-Minh-Tong has a studio in Bac Lieu.

20 January

Nghiem Xuan Thuc and Fernand Nadal photograph the memorial ceremony in honour of recently deceased Governor-General Pierre Pasquier. According to Degroise, Truong Mau operates from Long Xuyen under his studio name of Modern Photo and also photographs the Pasquier memorial ceremony.

1935

Maynard Owen Williams travels through Indochina by motor car and writes about his adventures in the October 1935 issue of National Geographic. Denise Colomb (1902-2004) is in Indochina until 1937 taking photographs.

17 March

Nghiem Xuan Thuc photographs the visit to Thanh Hoa of Tu Cung, the Queen Mother and widow of Emperor Khai Dinh. The studio address is given as Nos. 10, 12, rue Lamblot, Hanoi.

CHRONOLOGY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 271

1936

Thien Ky is operating from Son Tay. My-Lai Photo is established in Saigon and is still operating in 1950.

1937

Han Tinh Quay is a professional photographer based in Vinh who provides photographs for the Exposition Coloniale Internationale 1937. These were taken in the provinces of Hatinh and Nghe An and in the town of Ben Thui and represent scenes of everyday life in agriculture and industrial development.

1938

Pierre Verger takes a fine series of portraits of the ethnic types in Indochina.

1940

Lien Photo (Saigon, c.1940) is in operation. According to Degroise, Le-Minh-Tong has a studio in Bac Lieu.

1945

Vo An Ninh photographs the famine in Hanoi.

1949

Laure Albin Guillot photographs the Empress of Vietnam, Nam Phuong (1914–63), in Paris.

1951

Around this time Michel Huet and Hélène Hoppenot (1918–80) photograph Moi women of Vietnam.

1952

Werner Bischof (1916–54) takes photographs in Vietnam.

1954

Robert Capa (1913–54) photographs the First Indochina War and is killed while stepping on a landmine. Horst Faas (1933–2012) also photographs the war.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 272

APPENDIX 1

Index of Photographers and Studios in Vietnam (1845–1954) a

T

he following lists are an attempt to differentiate the foreign studios from the Vietnamese and Chinese. However, it is sometimes not possible to make a clear distinction between Vietnamese and Chinese names and some errors may therefore appear. Hopefully, these can be corrected over time as more information comes to light.

FOREIGN PHOTOGRAPHERS/STUDIOS

A Aéronatique militaire d’Indochine (Indochina, 1915–31) Agence de l’Indochine (Indochina, 1903–18) Agence générale de l’Indochine (Indochina, 1918–34) Anh Vien (Dalat, c.1930) American-Photo (Saigon, 1915–c.1919) J. Antonio (Hanoi, 1902) Mme Ary-Jouanne (Saigon, 1877–c.1881) B H. B. (Vietnam, c.1890) F. Lacave Laplagne Barris (Saigon, Quang Yen, 1887–8) Francois Sauvaire de Barthélémy (Indochina, 1892) Jules Bayol (Hanoi, Aéronautique D’Indochine, c.1920–3) Jean-Marc Bel (Vietnam, c.1895-98) Octave de Bermond de Vaulx (Saigon, 1864) Paul-Emile Berranger (Da Nang, 1858; Saigon, 1858–9) Berthe (Saigon, 1881) Werner Bischof (Vietnam, 1952) Henry Blum (Lang Son, 1922) Raymond Bonal (Haiphong, c.1907; Hanoi, c.1908–c.1922) Pierre Bouret (Hanoi, Aéronautique D’Indochine, 1920–2) Xavier Brau de Saint-Pol Lias (Vietnam, 1885) Joseph-Marie Brignon (Saigon, c.1908–11) Wilhelm Burger (Saigon, 1869) Léon Jean Victor Busy (Vietnam, 1914–17; Hue, Halong Bay, 1921– c.1926)

C–D Robert Capa (Vietnam, 1954) Chanson & Cie (Hanoi, 1910–25) Emile Clouet (Hanoi, Aéronautique D’Indochine, c.1920–3) Mme Clouet (Hanoi, 1925) Denise Colomb (Indochina, 1935-37) Cornu (Hanoi, 1908) Crespel (Saigon, 1908–9) Ludovic Crespin (Saigon, 1900–c.1925) J. Davant (Soc Trang, c.1925) Decagny (Hanoi, c.1895) Lucienne Delmas (Da Lat, c.1920) Pierre Dieulefils (Indochina, 1885–c.1925) J. Dintilhac (Hanoi, 1899–c.1906) Dong Da (Saigon, c.1930) Pierre Dufresne (Haiphong, c.1900–c.1920) E–G Edgar (Vietnam, c.1920) Horst Faas (Vietnam, 1954) Georges Fabre (Hanoi, Aéronautique D’Indochine, 1920) Victor Fauvel (Haiphong, 1916–30) Victor Fiévet (Than Hoa, Bac Ninh, c.1887–1900) Michel Louis Lucien Fournereau (Vietnam, c.1887) Paul Gastaldy (Saigon, 1922–32) Clément Gillet (Saigon, 1863–c.1867) Henry Célestin Girard (Cao Bang, 1882) Victor Goedorp (Vietnam, 1902) Émile Gsell (Saigon, 1866–79) Paul Guillaumot (Hanoi, 1889) H Charles Haffner (Thu Dau Mot, c.1895) Harnaud (Vietnam, 1880) Harry Hervey (Saigon, 1925) Charles Édouard Hocquard (Franco-Chinese War, 1884–86) Hélène Hoppenot (Vietnam, c.1951) Michel Huet (Vietnam, c.1951) Martin Hürlimann (Vietnam, c.1930) I–K Lieutenant Edgar Imbert (Tonkin, 1905–8) Jules Itier (Da Nang, 1845) Jiroullet (Vietnam, 1900) Jugant (Saigon, c.1879) Jumillard (Hanoi, 1897–1901) W. C. Kuhrmeyer (Saigon, 1889) Kurihara & Kaminota (Hanoi, 1911)

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 274

L Jules-Felix Apollinaire Le Bas (Saigon, 1865) Jean-Marie Le Priol (Hanoi, 1894) Charles Lemire (Vietnam, c.1886–94) Marie and Fanny Lemire (Vietnam, 1888) A. Levray (Hanoi, 1919) M P. Machet (Saigon, c.1908) Photo Machet Saigon (Hanoi, c.1910) Manicus (Indochina, c.1930) Edouard Mariau (Hanoi, Aéronautique D’Indochine, 1920) Max Martin (Saigon, c.1887–c.1891; Haiphong/Do Son, c.1896–c.1912) Henry Mehier de Mathuisieulx (Franco-Chinese War, 1884) Gaston Menigoz (Saigon, Aéronautique D’Indochine, 1920–22) Ernest Millot (Haiphong, Hanoi, c.1886) Claudine Montvenoux (Saigon, 1884) Raphael Moreau (Hanoi, 1897–c.1910) T. Mori (Saigon, 1919) N–Q Fernand Nadal (Saigon, 1921–c.1935) Ferdinand Négadelle (Saigon, c.1897–c.1901) Hermann Norden (c.1930) Flavien Marie Obscur (Gia Dinh,1902) Prince Henri d’Orléans (Vietnam, 1892) Charles Parant (Saigon, 1864) Camille Paris (Bac Ninh, Da Nang, Hue, Saigon, c.1885–c.1892) Passignat (Hanoi, c.1904–c.1922) Auguste Gabriel Paullessen (traded as Saigon Photo, Saigon, c.1921–c.1925) Auguste Pavie (Indochina, c.1890–5) Aurélien Pestel (Saigon, c.1893–7) Photo Luonghuu (Cholon, c.1930) Georges Victor Planté (Saigon, c.1905–1921) Provence Photo (Saigon, c.1930) R–S Mle Gilberte Rabut (Vietnam, c.1920s) Alfred Raquez (Indochina, 1898–c.1907) Télémaque Regnard (Indochina 1924-1926;1933-1936) Rigal (Hue, c.1891) Léon Rodet (Saigon, 1897–1901) August Sachtler (Saigon, 1866) Saigon Photo (studio of Gabriel Paullessen, Saigon, c.1921–c.1924) Eugène Salin (Saigon, 1881, 1883–5) Firmin André Salles (Halong Bay, 1885) François-Henri Schneider (Hanoi, Haiphong, c.1888–1918) Paul Dominique Simoni (Vietnam, 1888) Spencer (Saigon, 1872) Suais (Hanoi, c.1895)

INDEX OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND STUDIOS IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 275

T–Z Louis Talbot (Saigon, 1891–c.1893) Mme Terray (Saigon, c.1900–9) René Tetart (Indochina, 1917–26) Auguste Thiriat (Vietnam, 1908) John Thomson (Saigon, 1867–8) Capitaine Prévost de Sansac de Traversay (Vietnam, c.1888–1905) C. G. Triclin (Hanoi, Aéronautique D’Indochine, 1920) Gustave Ernest Trumelet-Faber (Vietnam, 1888–91) Photographie Vallat (Hanoi, c.1900) Gabrielle Vassal (Vietnam, c.1907–12) Pierre Verger (Indochina, 1938) O. J. A. Viana (Lao Kay, c.1905) H. Watanabe (Hanoi, c.1908–c.1915) S. Watanabe (Hanoi, c.1915) O. Wegener (Saigon, 1881) Maynard Owen Williams (Indochina, 1935) Georges Wirth (Saigon, c.1900) Yamada Navahiko (Hanoi, c.1890–c.1925) Alexandre Yersin (Indochina, c.1890) VIETNAMESE PHOTOGRAPHERS/STUDIOS

A–G An Cheong Long (Hue, c.1910) Anh Vien (Dalat, c.1930) An Vinh (Tonkin, 1930–9) Bich Ky (Bac Ninh, c.1922) Dam Dat Dinh (Cholon, c.1905) Dang Bich (Cholon, 1897–c.1905) Dang Binh Nam (Lang Son, c.1930) Dang Huy Tru (Hanoi, 1869–74) Dang Ky (Hanoi, 1910) Dao Van Than (Indochina, 1930) Dinh Ngoc Chan (Indochina, 1930) Dong Da (Saigon, c.1930) Dong Pho (real name Pham Manh Xuong) (Hanoi, c.1906–c.1915) H–K Han Tinh Quay (Vinh, 1937) Heng Xuou Ho (real name Quan Yam Ky) (Hanoi, c.1905–8) Hing Thuong (Chau Doc, c.1930) H[oang] Sin Ky (Bac Ninh, c.1895) Hoa Xuong (Cholon, 1905) Hong Ky (Ky Lua, c.1890) R. V. Hue (Ben Tre, Ba Tri, Mo Cay, Saigon, c.1900) Huong Ky (real name Tran Van Thanh) (Hanoi, Haiphong, 1915–c.1928 or even 1950s) Huu Tao (Qui Nhon, 1920–c.1930) Huynh Dinh Co. (Da Nang, c.1909) Kam Wo (real name Tsanh Liem Tac) (Hanoi, c.1901–10) Khanh Ky (real name Nguyen Dinh Khanh) (Hanoi, Saigon, 1892–c.1941)

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 276

Khuu Thinh Duc (Saigon, c.1895) Kinh Mon (Vietnam, c.1924) L–M Le Dinh Hung (Hanoi, c.1905–12) Le-Minh-Tong (Bac Lieu, c.1934-c.1940) Le Phat Vinh (Vietnam, 1950) Lien Photo (Saigon, c.1940) Loc Tzu Woo (Hon Gay, 1908) Modern Photo (see Truong Mau, Long Xuyen, 1934) Pierre Le Van Ba (Saigon, 1905–c.1912) Pham Ngoc Duong (Saigon, 1901) Photo Loan (Da Lat, 1930) Luong Anh (Cholon, 1897–c.1909) Mie Ky (Hanoi, c.1905–c.1915) My-Lai Photo (Saigon, 1936-c.1950) N–S Namky Photo Artistique (Bac Ninh, c.1922) Ng Thi Hai (Hanoi, 1909–12) Nghiem Xuan Thuc (Hanoi, 1934–5) Nguyen Dinh Khanh (trading as Khanh Ky) (Hanoi, Saigon, 1892–c.1941) Nguyen Duyen (Saigon, 1920) Nguyen Huy Ky (Indochina, 1930) Nguyen Van Bai (Indochina, 1930) Nguyen Van Duc (Cholon, 1891–2) Paris Photo (Thai Ly Quang) (Haiphong, c.1925; Hanoi, c.1934) Jean-Baptiste Pétrus (real name Truong Vinh Ky) (Saigon, 1883–7) Pham Manh Xuong (trading as Dong Pho) (Hanoi, c.1906–c.1915) Photo-Annam (Chau Doc, c.1930) Dominique Phuc (Tra Vinh, c.1930) Phuc Ky Photo (Thai Nguyen, c.1920) Provence Photo (Saigon, c.1930) Pun Ky (Saigon, c.1872–c.1877) Quan Yam Ky (aka Heng Xuou Ho) (Hanoi, c.1905–8) Shun Ky (Hanoi, Haiphong, c.1905–20) Sin Ky (Bac Ninh, c.1895) T Tang Vinh (Hue, 1920–c.1942) Tanh (or Thanh or Thang) Long (Hanoi, c.1905–20) Thai Ly Quang (Paris Photo) (Haiphong, c.1925; Hanoi, c.1934) Thai Sanh (My Tho, c.1930) Thang Long Photo (Rach Gia, c.1920) Thanh Ba (Hue, 1930) Thien Ky (Son Tay, c.1936) Thu Hoanh (Indochina, 1930) Thuan Ky (Vinh Long, 1930) Thuoc Chuong (Nam Dinh, 1925) Thuong Ky Photo (Thu Dau Mot, c.1925) Tonkinois Photo (Vinh, c.1930)

INDEX OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND STUDIOS IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 277

Tran Dinh Quan (Hanoi, c.1910) Tran Ngoc Loan (Da Lat, 1929–30) Tran Nguon Hon (Vietnam, 1879) Tran Van Dong (Saigon, 1912) Tran Van Thanh (trading as Huong Ky) (Hanoi, Haiphong, 1915–c.1928 or even 1950s) Tranh Van Sao (Can Tho, 1930) Jean–Pierre Trong (Saigon, c.1900) Truong Mau (trading as Modern Photo) (Long Xuyen, 1934) Photo Truong Quoi (Vietnam, c.1910) Truong Tong (1891–c.1893) Truong Van San (Hue, 1878) Truong Vinh Ky (aka Jean-Baptiste Pétrus) (Saigon, 1883–7) Tsanh Liem Tac (trading as Kam Wo) (Hanoi, c.1901–10) Tze Yao (trading as Yan Vo) (Haiphong, c.1905–11) U–Z Van Tong Sine (Lang Son, c.1901) Van Xuan (Hanoi, c.1919–c.1935) Vinh Long (Phu Lang Thuong, Mong Cai, c.1920–4) Vinh Xuan (Dap Cau, c.1900) Vo An Ninh (Vietnam, 1927–c.1987) Vo Chuan (Hue, 1920–39) Vu Van Yuan (Tuy Hoa, 1920–35) Yan Vo (real name Tze Yao) (Haiphong, c.1905–12) CHINESE PHOTOGRAPHERS/STUDIOS

A Dong (Haiphong, 1901) A Kit (real name Quang-yip-Cheong) (Haiphong, 1893–c.1920) A Ping (Haiphong, c.1905) A Sing (Hue, 1901) Dai Quan (Vietnam, c.1900) J. Dong (Saigon, c.1908) Lai Fong (Vietnam, c.1895) Leong Kit (Haiphong, c.1890) Photo Luonghuu (Cholon, c.1930) Luong Loi Tchiou (trading as Yu Chong) (Hanoi, c.1889–c.1915) Mi Cheong (Haiphong, c.1890) Po Tsan (Haiphong, c.1890) Pun Lun (Saigon, 1867–c.1872) Quang Yip Cheong (trading as A Kit) (Haiphong, 1893–c.1920) Sam Huy Nam (Hanoi, 1893) Tai Hing (Tonkin, c.1900) Tong Sing (Hanoi, c.1889–97) Yu Chong (trading as Luong Loi Tchiou) (Hanoi, c.1889–c.1915) Yu Hing Tchon (Hanoi, c.1890) Yut Sun (Hanoi, Haiphong, 1885–c.1895)

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 278

UNCLASSIFIED PHOTOGRAPHERS/STUDIOS

It is not clear whether the following are Vietnamese, Chinese or foreign studios. Artiqtiq Hanoi (Hanoi, c.1925) Artist. Photo. P. T. (Vietnam, c.1925) Central Photo Hanoi (Hanoi, c.1930) D. Q. (Cao Bang, 1933) Ich Sanh Lao (Hanoi, 1901) Mach Tu (Cholon, 1905–6) Photo-Soctrang (Vietnam, c.1920) Sam Sech Kong (trading as Yong Tchuong) (Hanoi, c.1911–15) Vien Lai (Ben Tre, 1930) Woa-Fong (Hue, c.1900) Y. Tsung (Hanoi, c.1910) Yong Tchuong (real name Sam Sech Kong) (Hanoi, c.1911–15)

INDEX OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND STUDIOS IN VIETNAM (1845–1954) 279

APPENDIX 2

Number Lists: Raphael Moreau and Émile Gsell a

B

ased on current research, in the period 1870–1900, the most prolific commercial studios that published albums of large-format souvenir photographs were those belonging to Émile Gsell, Pierre Dieulefils, Aurélien Pestel and Raphael Moreau. The studios of Dieulefils and Moreau helpfully included numbers and captions in many of their negatives and this information can be seen on the face of the prints. Pestel did not do this but instead gave handwritten captions, without numbers, on the album pages. Gsell, on the other hand, was inconsistent in the way he provided such data. In his early prints of Angkor Wat, Cambodia, he usually signed his name in the negative and included a number. Exactly when he began to do this is not entirely clear but it is likely to have been around 1870. Before this, explanatory captions with corresponding numbers were shown separately on small printed labels pasted beneath the images. In almost all of his non-Angkor Wat photographs, both Cambodian and Vietnamese, he neither included his name nor a number. Instead, his studio provided handwritten captions on the album pages. In the mid-1870s, however, he started to add numbers to the negatives. In the case of Gsell’s cartes de visite, numbers were often, but not always, included on the face of the prints or the reverse of the mount together with handwritten captions. If the cartes were pasted onto album pages, then the captions would appear next to the images, with or without numbers. Very many of Gsell’s cartes de visite were also published in large format. The presence of captions or numbers is an essential aid in identifying a photographer’s work. Despite their incompleteness, researchers should find the following number lists for Gsell and Moreau helpful. The numbers for Dieulefils have not been included although it is not too difficult to identify his albums by comparing their images with those shown on his literally thousands of postcards.1 In the author’s experience, the inadvertent conflation of the works of Pestel and Moreau is a significant impediment to the accurate attribution of nineteenth-century photographs of Vietnam. The number list for Moreau, shown below, should be of assistance in helping to resolve this problem. As a further aid in separating the work of these two artists, it is worth remembering that Moreau’s studio was in Hanoi whereas Pestel’s was based in Saigon. Not surprisingly, their respective portfolios contain a preponderance of views from locations close to their studios and this is quite apparent when looking through their albums.

Captions within quotation marks are as they originally appeared, preserving old spellings and punctuation. Some of the lengthier examples, however, have been shortened to save space. Additional or explanatory information appears within square brackets. RAPHAEL MOREAU

1. 2. 2. 3. 5. 6. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 10. 11. 11. 12. 13. 15. 15. 16. 17. 17. 18. 19. 21. 27. 29. 33. 34. 37. 40. 41. 41. 44. 50. 51. 52. 53. 53. 54. 59. 76. 77. 81. 84.

‘Une rue indigène Hanoi No. 1’ ‘Fumeurs d’opium’, [numbered ‘2’ in negative] ‘Moncay. No. 2’ ‘Féte du Dragon’, [numbered ‘3’ in negative] [Grotto, Baie d’Along, numbered ‘5’ in negative] [Grotto, Baie d’Along, numbered ‘6’ in negative] ‘Borde du Fleuve Rouge No. 6’ [Baie d’Along, numbered ‘7’ in negative] ‘Mines de charbon-Hongay. Baie d’Along’ [numbered ‘8’ in negative] ‘Mines de charbon-Hongay’, [numbered ‘9’ in negative] ‘Baie d’Along’, [numbered ‘10’ in negative] ‘No. 10. – Hanoi.’ ‘Pagode du Kin Luoc Hanoi No. 11’ [Baie d’Along, numbered ‘11’ in negative] ‘Residence Supre Hanoi. No. 12’ ‘Baie d’Along’, [numbered ‘13’ in negative] ‘Mines de charbon – Hongay’, [numbered ‘15’ in negative] ‘Entre de Pagode.Hanoi. – No. 15.’ ‘Hanoi. – Rue du Lac. – No.16.’ [Baie d’Along, numbered ‘1’ in negative] ‘Hanoï. – Intérieur de la Citadelle. – No. 17.’ ‘Hanoi. – Escalier des Dragons (Citadelle). – No. 18.’ [Baie d’Along, numbered ‘19’ in negative] ‘Environs De Sontay No. 21’ ‘No. 27. – Hanoi. – Hospital.’ ‘No. 29. – Hanoi. – Prisonniers Empierrant Les Rues.’ [Hanoi View, No. 33] ‘Hanoi. – Pagode du Petit Lac. – No. 34.’ ‘No. 37 – Environs d’Hanoi’ ‘No. 40. – Hanoi. – Pont du Petit’ ‘No. 41. – Vue du Petit-Lac. – Hanoi.’ ‘Pagode du Grand Bouddha Hanoi. – No. 41.’ ‘No. 44’ [Statue de Gouverneur Général Paul Bert (1833–86) – Hanoi] ‘Sept Pagodes No. 50.’ ‘Sept Pagodes No. 51.’ ‘Hung-Hoa. – Plantations de Café. – No. 52.’ ‘Sept Pagodes No. 53.’ ‘De-Kieu. – No. 53.’ ‘Sept Pagodes. No. 54.’ ‘Hung-Hoa. – Démolition de la Citadelle – No. 59.’ ‘No. 76. – Intérieur De La Grotte.’ ‘No. 77. – Ki-Lua-Entree [...]’ ‘Hanoi. – Vue Générale. No. 81.’ ‘Lang-Son. – Pont du Chemin de Fer. – No. 84.’

NUMBER LISTS: RAPHAEL MOREAU AND ÉMILE GSELL 281

85. 86. 87. 89. 94. 97. 99. 119. 126. 126. 127. 133. 136. 141. 142. 144. 144. 145. 150. 153. 163. 164. 164. 166. 171. 173. 190. 211. 221. 242. 254. 290. 293.

‘Lang-Son. – Boutique Chinoise. – No. 85.’ ‘No. 86. – Hanoi. – Bords du Fleuve-Rouge.’ ‘No. 87. – Hanoi. – Bords du Fleuve-Rouge.’ ‘No. 89. – Tong-Doc De Lang-Son.’ ‘No. 94. – Porte de Nam-Quan.’ ‘Gare De Bac Le. 97’ ‘Route De Lang Son (Robinson) 99’ [?] ‘… No. 119 [?] [Carpenters]’ ‘Laboureur. No. 2.’ ‘No. 126. – Laboureur.’ [?]. ‘Bords Fleure. 127[?]’ ‘No. 133 Pecheurs Anamites’ ‘No. 136. – Késo. – Ateliers.’ ‘Hanoi. – Citadelle.-La tour.’ ‘No. 142.-Hanoi.-Casernes.’ ‘No. 144. – Nam Dinh. – Le Quai.’ ‘No. 144. – Hanoi.-Citadelle -Escalier des Dragons.’ ‘No. 145. – Hanoi.-Reduit de le Citadelle.’ ‘No. 150. – Chinois sortant d’une Pagode’ ‘Femmes Tonkinoises No. 153.’ ‘No. 163. – Haiphong. – Rue Paul-Bert’ ‘No. 164. – Haiphong. – Hôtel du Commerce.’ ‘Fabricant De Parapluies. No. 164.’ ‘No. 166. – Hanoi.-Pagodon du Petit-Lac.’ ‘No. 171. – Ti-Cau. – Une Ferme.’ ‘No. 173. – Hanoi. – Rue Paul-Bert.’ ‘No. 190. – Hanoi. – Une rue indigene (route de Hue).’ ‘No. 211. Reconnaissance ….’ ‘No. 221. – Ban-Thi. (Blockhauss).’ ‘No. 242. – Long-Tcheou. – Banian du Consulat.’ ‘No. 254. – Femmes Chinoises.’ ‘No. 290. – Hanoi. – Village du Papier.’ ‘No. 293. – Village du Kinh-Luoc (no. 3).’

ÉMILE GSELL

Gsell’s number system also included his work in Cambodia. Although this book is focused on Vietnam rather than French Indochina as a whole, for clarity as well as completeness the numbers for Cambodia are included here. In compiling this list, the author has benefited significantly from the pioneering work of Joachim Bautze and later research by Jim Mizerski. The numbers (and captions where given) have been taken from Gsell’s photographs in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Centre Des Archives D’Outre-Mer, Ministère des Affaires étrangères, Musée Guimet, New York Metropolitan Museum, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis and the author’s collection. CARTES DE VISITE

1. 3. 6. 7.

[Collage of cdvs] [numbered in pencil beneath image] ‘Domestique annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Annamite [Saigon]’ [Annamite Man Sitting]

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 282

8. 9. 10. 12. 13. 14. 15. 18. 19. 38. 43. 46. 51. 55. 58. 59. 60. 67. 69. 73. 74. 76. 80. 82. 83. 87. 91. 96. 98. 99. 100. 101. 103. 104. 108. 113. 116. 117. 119. 120. 122. 124. 126. 134. 135. 139. 141. 143. 145. 145. 147.

[Annamite Man Sitting] [Annamite Man Sitting] [Annamite Man Sitting] [Annamite Man Standing] [Annamite Boy Standing] [Annamite Man Sitting] [Annamite Man Sitting] ‘Riche Annamite [Saigon]’ [Annamite Man Sitting] [Annamite Woman Standing] [Annamite Woman Standing] [Annamite Woman Sitting] [Annamite Woman Sitting] [Annamite Woman Standing] ‘Enfant annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Lettré annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Riche Annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Le Général annamite Lan-Bin-Tam de Gôcong’ ‘Riche Annamite [Saigon]’ [Annamite Woman] [Annamite Woman] [Annamite Woman] ‘Femme annamite’ [Annamite Woman] [Annamite Woman] [Annamite Woman] ‘Femme annamite’ [Chinese Man Standing] ‘Riche Chinois [Saigon]’ [Chinese Mandarin] [Chinese Man Sitting] [Chinese Man Sitting] [Annamite Man Standing] [Annamite Man Standing] ‘Japonaise [Saigon]’ [Chinese Woman Standing] ‘Jeune chinoise [Saigon]’ ‘Jeune Chinois [Saigon]’ [Portrait Annamite Street Merchant] [numbered in pencil on reverse] ‘Grands lettrés annamites [Saigon]’ ‘Ministre cambodgien entouré de ses serviteurs’ ‘Nain annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Lettrés annamites [Saigon]’ ‘Siamois [Saigon]’ ‘Siamois [Saigon]’ [Portrait of Annamite Boy] [numbered in pencil on reverse] ‘Petits portefaix annamites [Saigon]’ ‘Enfant annamite, marchand de fruits [Saigon]’ [Three Annamite Children] [numbered in pencil on reverse] [Portrait of Annamite Gentleman and Servant] ‘Enfants annamites, appelés “paniers” [Saigon]’

NUMBER LISTS: RAPHAEL MOREAU AND ÉMILE GSELL 283

149. 150. 152. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 165. 166. 180. 182. 183. 203. 204. 227. 228. 233. 241. 242. 243. 249. 271. 275. 282. 284. 285. 291. 292. 298. 330. 341. 347. 351. 367.

‘Enfants annamites [Saigon]’ ‘Enfants annamites [Saigon]’ [Annamite Boy Eating] [Sitting Cambodian Woman] ‘Mendiant annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Marchand d’herbes [Saigon]’ ‘Coulis porteur d’eau [Saigon]’ ‘Mendiant annamite [Saigon]’ [Native Worker] ‘Coulis (manoeuvre) [Saigon]’ ‘Marchande annamite [Saigon]’ [Annamite Soldiers] ‘Boureau annamite [Saigon]’ ‘Mala, policier de l’Inspection [Saigon]’ [Long Fingernails] [numbered in pencil beneath image] ‘Main d’un riche annamite avec ongles de 49 centimètres de longueur [Saigon]’ [Young Women (variant of 708)] [Actor Sitting] [Portrait of Annamite Actor] [Portrait of Annamite Actor] [Portrait of Annamite Actor] [Portrait of Annamite Actor] [Portrait of Two Females] [numbered in pencil on reverse] [Two Cambodian Females] [Standing Cambodian Females] [numbered in pencil beneath image] [Member of Cambodian Royal Family in European Dress] [Member of Cambodian Royal Family in European Dress] [HRH Prince Si Votah(?) (c.1840–91)] [HRH Prince (later King) Sisowath (1840–1927)] [Portrait of Annamite Female] [numbered in pencil on reverse] [Standing Cambodian Female] [numbered in pencil beneath image] [Annamite Woman Standing] [Annamite Man Sitting] [Annamite Woman Sitting] [Annamite Man Standing] [numbered in pencil beneath image] [Two Native Priests (357?)]

LARGER FORMAT PHOTOS

The numbers below appear on the face of the prints unless indicated otherwise. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

‘Plan d’Angkor’ ‘Angkor: entrée principale. Vue de l’enceinte de la pagode’ ‘Angkor: chapiteau d’une colonne d’Angkor-wat’ ‘Angcor-wat. Porte principale de la façade ouest extérieur’ ‘Angkor: bas relief de la galerie extérieure’ ‘Angkor: vestibule de l’entrée principale de l’entrée ouest extérieure’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie extérieure’ ‘Angkor: fausse porte à l’extrémité de la galerie de la façade ouest extérieure’ ‘Angkor: angle d’une balustrade de la façade ouest extérieure’ ‘Angcor-wat. Une des portes de la façade ouest extérieure’

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 284

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

‘Cambodge: pagode près de Siemréap’ ‘Angcor-wat. Tour exterieure de la façade ouest exterieur.’ ‘Siam – temple d’angkor-wat Fragments d’encadrements de fenêtres’ ‘Angkor Wat – Angle d’une balustrade de la Grande allée’ ‘Angkor: balustrade de la grande allée’ ‘Angkor: entrée principale de la façade ouest extérieure’ ‘Angcor-wat. Façade, une prise de l’enceinte a la porte principale ouest’ ‘Angcor-wat. Premier édifice à l’extèrieur à droite de la grande allee’ ‘Angcor-wat. Deuxième édifice à l’extérieur à gauche de la grande allee’ [numbered ‘19’ on print also signed ‘Gsell 18[?]’ in negative ‘Angkor: façade principale (vue prise de la grande allée)’ ‘Angkor: idole’ ‘Angkor: bonzes de la pagode’ ‘Angkor: idole’ ‘Angcor-wat. Vue prise de l’esplanade’ ‘Angkor: colonnade de l’esplanade’ ‘Angkor: sphinx de l’esplanade’ ‘Angkor Wat – Bonzes (prétres de la pagode)’ ‘Angkor: esplanade de la grande façade’ ‘Ang-Kor Wat – Grande avenue’ [?] ‘Angkor-wat: Vue de la rivière et du mont Crom’ ‘Angkor: habitations des bonzes’ ‘Angkor Wat – (Fáçade sud)’ ‘Angkor: galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angcor-wat. Galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angkor: idole dans une galerie’ ‘Angkor: vue extérieure de la galerie des bas-reliefs et du perron de la façade ouest’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie sud’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie sud’ ‘Angkor Wat. – Vue extérieure de la galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angcor-wat: Bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angcor-wat: Bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angcor-wat: Bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angcor-wat. Portique a l’angle des galeries sud et ouest’ ‘Angkor: partie de la décoration extérieure’ ‘Angkor Wat – Bas-relief extérieur’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie sud’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angcor-wat. Une des entrées de la galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor-wat – Fragment de la galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie est’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie est’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie est’ ‘Angkor-wat – Fragment de la galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie est’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’

NUMBER LISTS: RAPHAEL MOREAU AND ÉMILE GSELL 285

61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111.

‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Siam – Angkor-wat – un Fragment de la galerie des bas-reliefs’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie sud représentant le jugement dernier’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor: inscriptions se trouvant dans la galerie est’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie sud’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie ouest’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie sud’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: galerie principale’ ‘Angkor: pied de Bouddha’ ‘Angcor-wat. Groupe d’idoles au haut de la galerie principal’ ‘Angkor: galerie principale’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angcor-wat. Une des cours du 1er. étage’ ‘Angkor: tête de Bouddha’ ‘Angkor: inscription sur une colonne de la première cour (détail)’ ‘Angcor-wat. Une des galeries de la cour’ ‘Angkor: tête de Bouddha’ ‘Angkor: inscriptions sur une colonne de la première cour’ ‘Angkor: angle d’une cour’

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 286

112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162.

‘Angkor: idole’ ‘Angkor: groupe d’idoles au bout de la galerie principale’ ‘Angkor: idole’ ‘Angkor: détail de décoration dans la cour du premier étage’ ‘Angcor-wat. Angle extérieure ou se trouve l’escalier conduisant du 1er. au 2 ètage’ ‘Siam – Angkor-wat Fragment d’encadrement de fenêtre’ ‘Angkor: tête de Bouddha’ ‘Angcor-wat. Tour d’angle du 2e. étage’ ‘Angcor-wat: Tombeau en pierre’ ‘Angcor-wat. Cour de 1er étage, et tour d’angle du deuxiemel’ ‘Angcor-wat. Edifice dans l’interiéur’ ‘Angcor-wat: bas-relief de la galerie nord’ ‘Angkor: tête de Bouddha’ ‘Angkor: porte des galeries du troisième étage’ ‘Angcor-wat: tête de Bouddha’ ‘Angkor Wat – Cour du troisième étage’ ‘Angcor-wat. Tours principales’ ‘Angkor: vue prise du haut du grand escalier’ ‘Angcor-wat. Porte de la façade, vue prise du haut du grand escalier’ ‘Angcor-wat. Cote droit de la façade, vue prise du haut du grand escalier’ ‘Angcor-wat. Cote nord de la façade – une prise du haut du grand escalier’ ‘Angkor: porte intérieure’ ‘Angcor-tom. Porte extérieure’ ‘Angkor: vue intérieure’ ‘Angkor: Baion, pagode des 42 tours’ ‘Angcor-tom. Baion, pagode des 42 tours’ ‘Angkor: Baion pagode des 42 tours’ ‘Angkor-thom – Le Bayon (monument aux 42 tours)’ ‘Angkor: géants supportant une terrasse’ ‘Angcor-tom. Bas-reliefs d’unne terrasse’ ‘Angkor-thom – Le Roi Lepreux’ [?] ‘Angcor-tom. Palais au centre de la ville’ ‘Angcor-tom. Bas-reliefs d’une terrasse’ ‘Angkor: Baion, pagode des 42 tours’ ‘Angkor: bas-relief de la galerie sud’ ‘Angcor-tom. Baion. pagode des 42 tours’ ‘Angkor: porte d’enceinte d’un palais’ ‘Pagode de Wothec. Province de Battambang’ Province de Battambang: Bas-relief de la pagode de Wothec’ [?] ‘Cambodge, province de Battambang: vue d’intérieur de la pagode de Whotec’ [?] ‘Pagode de Wothec. Province de Battambang’ ‘Cambodge, province de Battanbang: Banone, pagode (vue prise de la montagne)’ ‘Cambodge, province de Battambang: vue de la montagne de Banone’ ‘Province de Battambang: Bas-relief de la pagode de Banone’ ‘Cambodge, province de Battambang: tour central de la pagode de Banone’ ‘Pont de Tuctio (Province de Battambang) Angkor Wat – (Fáçade sud)’ ‘Cambodge: Pnom-Bachey, pagode (sur le Mékong)’ ‘Pagode de Pnom-Bocchey. Sur le Mei-Kong’

NUMBER LISTS: RAPHAEL MOREAU AND ÉMILE GSELL 287

163. ‘Groupe des membres de la commission d’exploration du Meï- Kong. Angcor-wat. Escalier principal’ 501. 503. 504. 505. 507. 509. 510. 511. 515. 519. 524. 526. 528. 529. 531. 533. 539. 547. 563. 570. 571. 575. 576. 579. 582. 585. 587. 589. 596. 597. 600. 602. 603. 604. 605. 606. 608. 609. 610. 611. 612. 614. 616. 617. 618. 619. 622. 623.

‘[Saigon]: lettré annamite’ ‘Tonkinoise de Saigon’ ‘Tonkinoise de Saigon’ ‘Tonkinoise de Saigon’ ‘Famille tonkinoise’ ‘Tonkinoises de Saigon’ ‘Tonkinoises de Saigon’ ‘Tonkinoise de Saigon’ ‘[Saigon]: femme annamite’ ‘[Saigon]: riches Annamites’ ‘[Saigon]: appareil à décartir le riz’ ‘[Saigon]: jeunes Malais’ ‘Mendiants cambodgiens’ ‘[Saigon]: Malais de Bornéo’ ‘Mendiants cambodgiens’ ‘Ministre cambodgien’ ‘Norodom 1er, roi du Cambodge, en tenue royale’ ‘Embarcation sur une rivière devant un groupe de huttes’ ‘Arroyos’ ‘Eglise catholique de Bien-Hoa (Cochinchine)’ ‘Charrette de poste dans l’intérieur de la Cochinchine’ ‘Groupe d’éléphants montés (Cochinchine)’ ‘[Saigon]: métier à tisser les nattes cambodgiennes’ [Village at Angkor Wat] [Statue of Admiral Rigault de Genouilly, Saigon] ‘Habitation de bonzes (Cochinchine)’ ‘Rivière de l’Avalanche’ ‘Phnom-Penh. Groupe de navires amarrés dans la rade’ ‘Tombeaux indigènes, Cochinchine’ ‘Cimetière cambodgien avec bonzes’ [Cap St. Jacques] ‘Baie des cocotiers (Cochinchine)’ ‘Cap Saint-Jacques (Cochinchine). Poste télégraphique et cables’ [1877 Map of Saigon] [View of Foreign Settlement, Saigon] [Wang Tai Mansion, Saigon] ‘Palais du Gouverneur à Saigon’ ‘Saigon: le siège du gouvernement de Cochinchine’ ‘Saigon: hôtel du général commandant la base française’ ‘Cathédrale de Saigon (vue de côté)’ [Cathedral, Saigon] ‘Hopital de la Marine à Saigon’ [Hospital, Saigon] ‘Caserne de l’Infie. de Marine à Saigon’ [Barracks, Saigon] ‘Casernes de l’infanterie marine à Saigon’ ‘Les quais de Saigon’ ‘Saigon: boulevard Norodon, le mess des officiers’

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 288

624. [Water Tower, Saigon] 628. ‘Gare des tramways à Cholon’ 630. ‘Saigon, rue Rigault-de-Genouilly’ 631. ‘Rivière de Saigon – Entrée de l’arroyo Chinois. rue Charner’ 632. ‘Arroyo Chinois – Marches couverts – Saigon’ 633. ‘Saigon: rue Charner’ 634. [Messageries Maritimes Building, Saigon] 635. ‘Rade de Saigon’ 642. ‘Saigon: inauguration du château d’eau’ 643. ‘Enterrement annamite (région de Saigon)’ 646. ‘Riviere de Saigon – Moillage des navires de guerre’ 647. ‘La Sainte Enfance, Saigon’ 648. [View of the Market, Saigon] 650. ‘Ancien Saigon’ 652. ‘Tombe de Mgr Pigneaux de Béhaine – environs de Saïgon’ 654. ‘Poste d’inspection de Cholon, près de Saigon’ 655. ‘Cholon: lac du poste de l’Inspection’ 656.‘Arroyo Chinois à Cholon, près Saigon’ 657. ‘Pagode chinoise à Cholon, dite “Pagode du Ciel et de la Terre”’ 658. ‘Pagode cantonaise à Cholon’ 661. ‘Ancien fort de Caï-May, près de Cholon’ 662. ‘Pagode à Cholon, près Saigon’ 667. ‘Le “Tilsitt”, stationnaire à Saigon’ 701. [Cartes de visite collage] 702. ‘Orchestre Annamite’ 703. ‘Bonzes Annamites’ 704. ‘Saigon: marchandes de fleurs annamites’ 705. ‘Cochinchine, Tirailleurs indigènes’ 706. ‘Saigon: congaye (femme annamite habitant avec un Français)’ 707. ‘Saigon: congaye (femme annamite habitant avec un Français)’ 708. ‘Jeunes Congais’ 709. ‘Saigon: type de femme annamite de l’intérieurdes terres’ 710. ‘Ambassadeur annamite venu en France pour la signature du traité’ 711. ‘[Saigon]: femme chinoise riche’ 713. ‘Sauvage moïs en tenue de guerre’ 714. ‘Sauvage moïs, en tenue de guerre (Indochine)’ 715. ‘Laotiens avec leur chef’ 716. ‘Ambassadeur annamite’ 717. ‘Maires et phu (préfets) annamites’ 718. ‘Mandarin chinois’ 719. ‘Riche annamite’ 720. [Market Traders] 721. ‘[Saigon]: mandarin annamite’ 724. ‘[Saigon]: Groupe de Javanais’ 725. ‘Famille chinoise [Saigon]’ 727. ‘Phu annamite (préfet)’ 728. [Annamite Woman] 729. ‘[Saigon]: ménage de riches Tonkinois’ 730. ‘[Saigon]: riches Chinoises’ 734. ‘Phu (préfet annamite)’ 736. ‘[Saigon]: femme annamite’

NUMBER LISTS: RAPHAEL MOREAU AND ÉMILE GSELL 289

737. 738. 739. 740. 741. 744. 746. 747. 748. 749. 750. 751. 752. 753. 754. 755. 756. 757. 758. 760. 763. 765. 767. 781. 785. 786. 788. 789. 791. 794. 797. 801. 802. 803. 804. 805. 806. 807. 808. 809. 810. 811. 812. 813. 814. 815. 816. 817. 818. 819.

‘Famille annamite de Saigon’ ‘Reine de Siam [in European Dress]’ ‘Le frère héritier de Norodom 1er, roi du Cambodge’ ‘Reine du Cambodge, femme de Sa Majesté Norodom 1er’ ‘Norodom 1er, roi du Cambodge’ ‘Musiciennes du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ Acteur du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh), avec ongles en argent ‘Acteur du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Actrice du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Actrice du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Femme du sérail du roi du Cambodge’ ‘Femme du sérail du roi du Cambodge’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne cambodgienne (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Musicienne du roi du Cambodge (palais royal de Phnom Penh)’ ‘Bonze cambodgien’ ‘[Saigon]: métier à tisser les étoffes’ ‘[Saigon]: appareil à décartir le riz (technique malaise)’ ‘Tonkinoise de Saigon’ ‘[Saigon]: groupe de Siamois’ ‘Tonkinoise de Saigon’ ‘Le roi d’Annam à Hué’ ‘Saigon: riche annamite lettré’ [Two Annamite Female Musicians] ‘[Saigon]: riches Tonkinois’ ‘Dong (maire annamite)’ ‘Porte principale de la citadelle d’Hanoï (Tonkin)’ ‘Citadelle à Hanoi’ ‘Aspect Général de la Citadelle à Hanoi’ ‘Village tonkinois près d’Hanoï’ ‘Les grands rapides du Tonkin’ ‘Vue fleuve Rouge prise dans le village de Ré-So (mission catholique française)’ ‘Les grands rapides du Tonkin’ ‘Hanoï, la rue Dupins’ ‘Le consulat de France à Haï-Phong (Tonkin)’ ‘Pagode des Supplices à Hanoi’ ‘Montagnes rocailleuses du Tonkin’ ‘Haï-Phong (Tonkin)’ ‘Vue du “Petit Lac” à Hanoi’ ‘Haï-Phong (Tonkin)’ ‘Haï-Phong (Tonkin)’ ‘Haï-Phong (Tonkin)’ ‘Vue générale de la concession française de Hanoï’ ‘Grotte de marbre à Tourranne (Tonkin)’ ‘Haï-Phong (Tonkin)’

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 290

820. 821. 823. 824. 825. 828. 829. 830. 831. 832. 833. 834. 835. 836. 840. 842.

‘Jonction de la rivière Claire au fleuve Rouge (Tonkin)’ ‘Rivière Claire (Tonkin)’ ‘Immeuble des officiers et des médecins français à Haï-Phong’ ‘Le consulat de France à Hanoï’ ‘Logement européen au Tonkin’ ‘Vue générale de Phnom Penh, capitale du Cambodge’ ‘Phnom Penh: palais de Norodom 1er, roi du Cambodge’ ‘Houdon: pagode de la reine mère du Cambodge’ ‘Bonzerie (Cambodge)’ ‘Pyramide d’un temple cambodgien’ ‘La flotille du roi du Cambodge dans la rade de Phnom Penh’ ‘Vue de Phnom Penh’ ‘Pirogue de course cambodgienne’ [Cambodia, Royal Carriage] ‘Tombeaux indigènes, Cochinchine’ ‘Pyramide d’un temple cambodgien’

NOTE 1

Many Dieulefils postcards can be found in Thierry Vincent, Pierre Dieulefils: Photographie d’Indochine, Gignac-la-Nerthe: Imprimerie Borel et Feraud, 1997, and in the Dieulefils family website, www.pierre– dieulefils.com/.

NUMBER LISTS: RAPHAEL MOREAU AND ÉMILE GSELL 291

APPENDIX 3

Postcards a

Raphael Moreau, c.1900. Author’s Collection

T

he first half of the century saw the production, in Vietnam, of thousands of photographic postcards. The portraits and scenes depicted usually included the name of the publisher or photographer. This information was printed on the face of the cards, and shown above is an example from the Raphael Moreau studio. In the interests of photographer identification, it was tempting, therefore, to include here a representative sampling of images. Unfortunately, however, space would permit inclusion of only a small fraction of those available, and the result would have been unsatisfactory given the considerable number of publishers and photographers involved. It was decided, therefore, to include only those postcards which illustrate multiple images. These collages are helpful in that they show, in one view, many examples of the work of the publisher or photographer in question. And given that the images are very often copies of earlier large-format photographs, they can provide researchers with a handy resource, especially when trying to connect otherwise unidentifiable photos with their original authors. There have also been some books published on the subject of Vietnamese postcards and researchers will find them an invaluable source of supplementary information.1

B1. Ludovic Crespin, c.1900. Author’s Collection.

B2. A. F. Decoly, c.1910. It is not clear whether Decoly was a photographer or publisher of the work of others. Author’s Collection.

B3. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

POSTCARDS

293

B4. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B5. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B6. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 294

B7. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B8. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B9. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

POSTCARDS

295

B10. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B11. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B12. Pierre Dieulefils, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 296

B13. Passignat, c.1905. It is not clear whether Passignat was a photographer or publisher of the work of others. Author’s Collection.

B14. Passignat, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B15. Passignat, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

POSTCARDS

297

B16. Phenix, Mottet & Cie. c.1910. Nothing seems to be known about this firm.

B17. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B18. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 298

B19. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B20. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B21. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

POSTCARDS

299

B22. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B23. Georges Planté, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

B24. Georges Wirth, c.1905. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 300

NOTE 1

Examples include Dao Hung, Saigon Traces of the Old Days, Saigon: Lao Dong Publishing House, 2013; Jean Noury, L’Indochine en cartes postales: avant l’ouragan 1900–1920, Chartres: Imprimerie Charron, 1984; and Thierry Vincent, Pierre Dieulefils: Photographie d’Indochine, Gignac-la-Nerthe: Imprimerie Borel et Feraud, 1997.

POSTCARDS

301

APPENDIX 4

Royal Photographic Portraits a

T

here were ten emperors of Vietnam during the country’s 100 years of occupation by the French. Of these, six were known to have been photographed. Tuc Duc, who reigned from 1847 to 1883, does not appear to have permitted his photograph to be taken. Distrustful of French intentions, the court refused permission of Gsell to use his camera during an official visit in 1875. The succeeding three Emperors – Duc Duc, Hiep Hoa and Kien Phuc – occupied the throne for just one year between them, and it seems as though not one of them was photographed, or if they were, then their photographic portraits have yet to surface. Photographs of the subsequent emperors are included here, together with selected images of other royal family members. VIETNAM EMPERORS DURING THE FRENCH OCCUPATION

Tu Duc (1829–83), reigned 1847–83. Duc Duc (1852–83), reigned 20–23 July 1883; deposed and executed or died in captivity three months later; was the father of future emperor Thanh Thai. Hiep Hoa (1847–83), reigned July–November1883; Tu Duc’s half-brother; tried and failed to rein in power of regents and was deposed and forced to commit suicide for signing a treaty which made Vietnam a protectorate of France. Kien Phuc (1869–84), reigned December 1883–July 1884; suffered from poor health and died aged fifteen, possibly by poisoning. Ham Nghi (1872–1943), reigned 1884–5; supported insurrection against the French; went into hiding but betrayed to the French by one of his bodyguards in October 1888 and captured by the French and exiled to Algeria; there married a French-Algerian woman in 1904. Dong Khanh (1864–89), reigned 1885–9; cousin of emperor Duc Duc; brother of the previous emperor Ham Nghi. Thanh Thai (1879–1954), reigned 1889–1907; son of the former emperor Hiep Hoa; passively resisted the French; feigned insanity; forced to abdicate by the French and exiled to Vung Tau, South Vietnam.

Duy Tan (1900–45), reigned 1907–16; son of the previous emperor Thanh Thai; became emperor aged seven; relations with the French deteriorated steadily and he and his father were exiled to Réunion Island; fought for the Free French Forces and was due to return to Vietnam to be possibly reinstated as emperor but died in a plane crash in 1945 on his way back to Vietnam. Khai Dinh (1885–1925), reigned 1916–25; unpopular due to being seen as a political puppet of the French; visited France in 1922 for the Marseille Exhibition. Bao Dai (1913–97), reigned 1926–45; son of the previous emperor Khai Dinh; spent much of his time outside Vietnam.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 303

1. Huong Ky. Emperor Bao Dai, Hue, 1934. From Empress Nam Phuong’s private album, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 304

2. Harcourt Paris. Emperor Bao Dai, 1949, silver print. Author’s Collection.

3. Anonymous. Emperor Bao Dai at Da Lat with the French Resident Superior of Annam, c.1940, silver print. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 305

4. Anonymous. Emperor Bao Dai at Da Lat with the French Resident Superior of Annam, c.1940, silver print. Author’s Collection.

5. Tang Vinh. Prince Bao Dai attending his father, Emperor Khai Dinh’s, 40th birthday celebrations, 1924, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 306

6. Charles-Édouard Hocquard. Emperor Dong Khanh, 1885, albumen print. This is the earliest known photo of a Vietnamese emperor. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 307

7. Pierre Dieulefils. Emperor Duy Tan, 1907, silver print. Author’s Collection.

8. L’Illustration, 26 October 1907. Enthronement of Emperor Duy Tan. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 308

9. Anonymous. Ex-Emperor Ham Nghi after his capture by the French, 1888, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 309

10. Anonymous. Wedding in Algeria of Ex-Emperor Ham Nghi to Marcelle Laloe, 4 November 1904, silver print. Author’s Collection.

11. Anonymous. Emperor Khai Dinh in France, 1922, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 310

12. Tang Vinh. Emperor Khai Dinh’s 40th birthday celebrations at Hue, 1924, silver print. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS

311

13. Huong Ky. Emperor Khai Dinh, 1921, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 312

14. Anonymous. Emperor Khai Dinh with Governor-General Albert Sarraut, c.1920, silver print. Author’s Collection.

15. L’Illustration, 24 June 1922. Emperor Khai Dinh at the Imperial Palace, Hue. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 313

16. Laure Albin Guillot. Portrait of Nam Phuong, Empress of Vietnam, Paris, 1949, silver print originally owned by the Empress. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 314

17. Tang Vinh. Nam Phuong just prior to her marriage to Emperor Bai Dai, Hue, 1934, silver print. From Nam Phuong’s private album. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 315

18. Huong Ky. Empress Nam Phuong following her marriage to Emperor Bai Dai, Hue, 1934, silver print. From Nam Phuong’s private album. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 316

19. Tang Vinh. Empress Nam Phuong with her children, Hue, c.1940, silver print. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS

317

20. Anonymous. Emperor Thanh Thai, c.1889, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 318

21. Pierre Dieulefils. Emperor Thanh Thai, c.1900, silver print. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 319

22. Pierre Dieulefils. Emperor Thanh Thai, 1895, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 320

23. Edgard Imbert attributed. Emperor Thanh Thai, 1906, silver print. Author’s Collection.

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS 321

24. Nghiem Xuan Thuc. Visit of the Queen Mother, Tu Cung to Thanh Hoa, 1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

25. Nghiem Xuan Thuc. Visit of the Queen Mother, Tu Cung to Thanh Hoa, 1935, silver print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 322

APPENDIX 5

Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards a

A1. A Kit (Haiphong). Portrait of a foreigner, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A2. Reverse of A1.

A5. A Kit (Haiphong). Portrait of a foreigner, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A3. A Kit (Haiphong). Portrait of a foreigner, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A6. Reverse of A5.

A4. Reverse of A3.

A7. A Kit (Haiphong). Foreign woman in rickshaw, c.1905, Cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 324

A8. Reverse of A7, A9 and A10.

A9. A Kit (Haiphong). Foreign woman in Japanese kimono, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A11. A Ping (Haiphong). Portrait of foreigner, c.1890, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A10. A Kit (Haiphong). Foreigner in Chinese clothes, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A12. Reverse of A11.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 325

A12a. Bich Ky (Bach Ninh). Amah with foreign child, c.1920, Philippe Damas Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 326

A13. [Raoul] Bonal (Haiphong). Portrait of foreigner, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 327

A14. Henry Blum (Lang Son). Portrait of a foreigner, 1922, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 328

A14A. Dan Quan (Tonkin). French officer, c.1900, carte de visite. Philippe Damas Collection.

A14B. REVERSE OF A14A.

A14C. Dang Binh Nam (Lang Son). Foreign family, c.1930, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 329

A15. J. Davant. Portrait of Vietnamese gentleman, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 330

A16. Pierre Dieulefils (Hanoi). Colonial building, c.1890, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A19. Reverse of A18.

A17. Reverse of A16.

A20. T. Dong (Saigon). House Servant, c.1910, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A18. Pierre Dieulefils (Hanoi). Portrait of foreigner, c.1890, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A21. T. Dong (Saigon). Portrait of Guy Cheminaud, c.1910, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 331

A22. Dong Pho (Hanoi). Two foreigners dressed as Vietnamese, c.1906, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A23. V[ictor] Fauvel (Haiphong). Foreigners with car, c.1925, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 332

A24. Clément Gillet (Saigon). King Norodom of Cambodia in Saigon, 1864, carte de visite. Serge Kakou Collection.

A25. Reverse of A24.

A26. Clément Gillet (Saigon). Chinese boy, 1864–7, carte de visite. Serge Kakou Collection.

A27. Reverse of A26.

A28. Clément Gillet (Saigon). Annamite Woman, 1864–7, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A29. Reverse of A28.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 333

A30. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Portrait of foreigner, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A31. Reverse of A30.

A32. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Collage of images, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A33. Émile Gsell (Saigon). River scene, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A34. Reverse of A33 and A35.

A35. Émile Gsell (Saigon). River scene, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 334

A36. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Vietnamese gentleman, c.1870. carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A37. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamese gentleman & servant, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A38. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamese female, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A39. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamese female, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A40. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamese street merchant c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A41. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Men gambling, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 335

A42. Reverse of A41.

A43. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite woman, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A44. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite male, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A45. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite female, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A46. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite male, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A47. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Street pedlar, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 336

A48. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite boy, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A49. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Street pedlar, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A50. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Young woman, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A51. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite male, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A52. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Young woman, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A53. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Old man, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 337

A54. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Woman with hat, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A55. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite male, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A56. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite woman, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A57. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Buddhist priest, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A58. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Three men and boy, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A59. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Mandarin, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 338

A60. Reverse of A43–A59.

A61. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite boy, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A62. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite woman, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A63. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite male, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A64. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite male, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A65. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Annamite soldiers, c.1870, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 339

A66. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Collage, c.1870. Carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A67. Reverse of A66.

A68. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Governor of Cochinchina, Vice Admiral C. A. Dupré, 1874, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A69. Reverse of A68.

A70. Émile Gsell (Saigon). Portrait of foreigner, 1877, Carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A71. Reverse of A70.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 340

A72. Hoa Xuong (Cholon, Saigon). Two Japanese females, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 341

A72a. Hoa Xuong (Cholon, Saigon). French officer, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 342

A73. Hong Ky (Ky Lua). French military officer, c.1890, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 343

A73a. Hong Ky (Ky Lua). French military and servants, c.1890, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 344

A74. Huong Ky (Hanoi). French family with Vietnamese amah, 1917, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 345

A75. Huong Ky (Hanoi). Vietnamese mother and child, 1920s, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 346

A75a. Huynh Dinh Co. (Da Nang). Vietnamese amah with foreign child, 1909, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

A76. Kam Wo (Hanoi). French military officer, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A75b. Reverse of A75a.

A77. Reverse of A76.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 347

A78. Khanh Ky (Nam Dinh). Vietnamese couple in Western clothes, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 348

A79. Khanh Ky & Cie. (Saigon). Foreign couple, 1923, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A80. Khanh Ky (Hanoi). Prince Bao Long, c.1940, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A81. Khanh Ky & Cie. (Saigon). Portrait of foreign child, 1923, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A82. G. R. Lambert & Co. (Singapore). Young woman, c.1870, carte de visite. Judging by the props, this photo was probably taken by Émile Gsell. Author’s Collection.

A83. Reverse of A82.

A83a. Leong Kit (Haiphong). French officer, c.1890, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 349

A83b. Reverse of A83a.

A86. Le Van Tu (Tourane). Portrait of foreigner, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A84. Pierre Le Van Ba (Saigon). Portrait of foreign soldier, c.1905, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A85. Reverse of A84.

A87. Loc Tzu Woo (Hon Gay). French military officer, 1908, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A88. Reverse of A87.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 350

A89. M. Martin (Haiphong). Portrait of foreigner, 1890s, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A90. Reverse of A89.

A91. M. Martin (Haiphong). Annamite woman, 1890s, carte de visite. Joachim Bautze Collection.

A92. Reverse of A91.

A93. Mi Cheong (Haiphong). Foreign girl, c.1880, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A94. Reverse of A93.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 351

A95. Mi Cheong (Haiphong). Foreign child with amah, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A96. Reverse of A95.

A97. Mie Ky (Hanoi). Portrait of two foreigners, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A97A. T. Mori (Saigon). Portrait of Missionary, Abbe Jean Esquibien Velly, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 352

A98. Namky-Photo (Bac Ninh). Child in cot, c.1922, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 353

A99. A. Pestel (Saigon). Portrait of foreigner, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A100. Photo Studio Saigon (Saigon). Portrait of foreigner, 1917, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A101. G. Planté (Saigon). Vietnamese woman, c.1910, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A102. G. Planté (Saigon). Portrait of foreigner, c.1910, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 354

A103. Pun Lun (Saigon). Portrait of Ernest Manau, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A104. Pun Lun (Saigon). Vietnamese military, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 355

A105. Pun Lun (Saigon). French & Vietnamese military on boat, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A106. Same studio stamp on A103, 104, 105 and 107.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 356

A107. Pun Lun (Saigon). Vietnamese woman, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A109. Reverse of A108.

A108. Pun Lun (Saigon). Collage, c.1875, carte de visite. This image is a copy of an earlier Gsell photo. The latter’s name in the bottom righthand corner has been concealed. Author’s Collection.

A109a. Pun Lun (Saigon). Chinese merchants, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 357

A109b. Reverse of A109a.

A110. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Matas militia, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 358

A111. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Street pedlar, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A114. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). 1. Matas Captain 2. Interpreter, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A112. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Street pedlar, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A115. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Annamite Mayor, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A113. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Vietnamese woman, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A116. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Vietnamese woman, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 359

A117. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Street pedlar, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A118. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Matas soldiers at Cholon, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 360

A119. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Chinese pagoda, Cholon, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A120. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). St. Enfance Catholic school, Saigon, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A121. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Chief interpreter, professor of Saigon college, c.1875, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 361

A122. Pun Ky (likely Saigon). Fleurus arrival at Saigon, c.1868–72, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A123. Reverse of A110–A122.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 362

A124. Quang Chau (Cholon, Saigon). Chinese wedding portrait, c.1930, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 363

A125. Léon Rodet (Saigon). Foreign sailor, c.1897, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A126. Reverse of A125.

A127. August Sachtler. Vietnamese official, c.1866, taken in the Gsell studio, Saigon, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A128. Reverse of A127.

A129. E. Salin (Saigon). Foreign Sailor, 1881–5, carte de visite. Philippe Damas Collection.

A130. Reverse of A129.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 364

A130a. Shun Ky (Haiphong). French couple, c.1905, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A130b. Reverse of A130a.

A131. Sin Ky (Bac Ninh). French military and children, c.1895, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

A132. Reverse of A131.

A133. Sin Ky (Bac Ninh). Foreign couple in carriage, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A134. Sin Ky (Bac Ninh). Foreign couple in garden with servants & monkey, 1902, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 365

A135. Reverse of A133 & A134.

A136. H. Sin Ky (Bac Ninh). Foreign naval officer, c.1895, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A137. Reverse of A136.

A137a. Hoang Sin Ky (Bac Ninh). Foreign lady, c.1895, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 366

A137b. Reverse of A137a.

A138. Photo-Soctrang. Mother and child, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A139. Tai Hing (Tonkin). Two French officers and Vietnamese, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 367

A140. Reverse of A139.

A141. L. Talbot (Saigon). Vietnamese lady, c.1893, cabinet format. Note that the Talbot card stock is being used by his successor, A. Pestel. Philippe Damas Collection

A142. Reverse of A141.

A143. Mme Terray (Saigon). Foreign missionary, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A144. Reverse of A143.

A145. Mme Terray (Saigon). Portrait of foreigner, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 368

A146. Reverse of A145.

A148a. Mme Terray (Saigon). Military officer, c.1900, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

A147. Mme Terray (Saigon). Portrait of bride, c.1900, carte de visite. Philippe Damas Collection.

A149. Thang Long (Rach Gia). Portrait of Vietnamese gentleman, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A148. Reverse of A147.

A150. John Thomson (Saigon and Singapore). Vietnamese young woman, c.1867, carte de visite. Photograph probably taken in Saigon. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 369

A151. Reverse of A150.

A152. Tong Sing (Tonkin [Hanoi]). Foreigner with Vietnamese assistants on shooting party, c.1895, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 370

A153. Reverse of A152.

A154. J[ean]-P[ierre] Trong (Saigon). Group of French colonials, 1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS

371

A155. Photo Truong Quoi. Portrait of Vietnamese young woman, c.1910, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A156. Vallat (Hanoi). French woman in rickshaw, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 372

A157. Van Xuan Frères (Hanoi). Foreigner in military uniform, c.1925, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A158. Vane Tong Sane (Lang Son). French colonial administrator, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A159. Vinh Xuan (Dap Cau). French military officer, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A160. Reverse of A159.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 373

A160a. Vinh Xuan (Dap Cau). Leprosy colony at Qua Cam, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A161. Reverse of A160.

A162. Vinh Long (Phu Lang Thuong). Railway, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 374

A163. Vinh Long (Phu Lang Thuong). French and Vietnamese military, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A164. S. Watanabe (Hanoi). Western woman, c.1912, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A165. Woa-Fong (Hue). Vietnamese amah with foreign child, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 375

A166. Woa-Fong (Hue). French colonial family in Hue, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A167. Reverse of A165 and A166.

A168. Y. Tsung (Hanoi). French officer, c.1910, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 376

A169. Reverse of A168.

A170. Yamada (Hanoi). Portrait of foreign children, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A171. Yamada (Hanoi). Horse breeding farm, c.1925, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 377

A172. Yan Vo (Haiphong). Japanese woman, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A173. Yon Tchuong (Hanoi). French marine, c.1920, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 378

A173a. Yong Tchuong (Hanoi). Portrait of foreign woman and daughter, c.1920, cabinet format. Philippe Damas Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 379

A174. Yu Chong (Hanoi). Portrait of foreign child, c.1905, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A176. Yu Chong. Portrait of foreigner, c.1903, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A175. Reverse of A174.

A177. Reverse of A176. A178. Yu Chong (Hanoi). Baby portrait, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A179. Yu Chong (Hanoi). Baby portrait, c.1900, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 380

A180. Reverse of A178 and A179.

A181. Yu Chong (Hanoi). Portrait of French naval officer, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A182. Reverse of A181.

A183. Yu Chong (Hanoi). Two foreigners smoking, 1890s, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A184. Reverse of A183.

A185. Yu Chong (Hanoi). French military officer, 1890s, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 381

A186. Reverse of A185.

A187. Yu Chong (Hanoi). French colonial family, c.1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 382

A188. Yu Hing Tchon (Hanoi). French soldier, c.1885, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A191. Reverse of A190.

A189. Reverse of A188.

A192. Yut Sun (Haiphong). Group of French military with Vietnamese male, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A190. Yut Sun (Tonkin). French military officer, c.1890, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

A193. Reverse of A192.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 383

A194. Yut Sun (Haiphong). Portrait of French official – Joseph Derville, 1900, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A195. Reverse of A194. A196. Yut Sun (Tonkin). French official with servants, 1895, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

A197. Reverse of A196.

A199. Reverse of A198. A198. Yut Sun (Hanoi). French military officer, c.1890, carte de visite. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 384

A200. Yut Sun (Tonkin). View of Lam, c.1890, cabinet format. Author’s Collection.

CARTES DE VISITE AND CABINET CARDS 385

APPENDIX 6

1863 Vietnamese Embassy to France a

T

he following albumen-print cartes de visite and larger-format photographs, all produced in 1863, are from the author’s collection.

1. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 2. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 3. Fotografia Inglese. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Italy, 1863. Author’s Collection.

4. Reverse of 3.

5. Fotografia Inglese. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Italy, 1863. Author’s Collection.

6. Reverse of 5.

7. Fotografia Inglese. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Italy, 1863. Author’s Collection.

8. Reverse of 7.

9. L. Laffon. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection.

1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE 387

10. Reverse of 9. 11. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 12. Reverse of 11.

13. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 14. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 15. L. Cremiere & Cie. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection.

16. Reverse of 15.

17. Bayard Bertall. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection.

18. Reverse of 17.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 388

19. Carjat & Cie. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 20. Carjat & Cie. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection.

22. Reverse of 19 & 20. 21. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection.

23. Disderi. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863. Author’s Collection. 24. Reverse of 23.

1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE 389

26. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 390

27. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE 391

28. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 392

29. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

30. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE 393

31. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

32. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 394

33. Original printed caption for 32.

34. Jacques-Philippe Potteau. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Paris, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE 395

35. Thobert de Cassien. ‘Portrait of Ambassador Phan Thanh Gian and officials’, 1863, Marseilles, France. Author’s Collection.

36. Reverse of 35.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 396

37. Angel Alonso Martinez y Hermano. Vietnamese Embassy to Europe, Madrid, Spain, 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

38. Disderi & Cie. Vietnamese Embassy to France, 5 November 1863, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

1863 VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO FRANCE 397

39. Anonymous. Portrait of Ambassador, 1863 Embassy to France, albumen print. Author’s Collection.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 398

Photographic Terms a

D

ates given are those of most common usage. Many processes have undergone revivals or continued in use by amateurs or enthusiasts after their commercial heyday.

ALBUMEN PRINT (1851–EARLY 1890s)

Invented by Louis-Desiré Blanquart-Evrard, this was to become the most commonly used photographic printing paper of the century. It differed from the salt print in having an additional coating of albumen (egg white) over the thin paper base. This gave a smoother finish and light sheen to the paper surface, enabling prints to exhibit more detail. The combination of wet-plate negative and albumen print was to become the staple of nineteenth-century commercial photography for several decades. AMBROTYPE (1854–1860s)

Patented in 1854 in America by James Ambrose Cutting, the ambrotype adapted Scott Archer’s wet-plate glass negative to create the appearance of a positive image. It resembled a daguerreotype, without the reflective silver surface. It was simpler and cheaper to produce and had the advantage of shorter exposure times. As a result, ambrotypes almost entirely displaced daguerreotypes by 1860. CABINET CARD (LATE 1860s–1890s)

Similar to but larger than a carte de visite photograph, the cabinet card measured approximately 4 by 6 inches (114 x 165 mm). CALOTYPE (1841–1850s)

Invented and patented by William Henry Fox Talbot, the calotype anticipated modern (pre-digital) photography, creating a negative from which multiple positive prints could be made. The negative was made on a sheet of plain paper, such as writing paper, coated with light-sensitive silver salts and exposed in the camera. The texture of the paper gave the resulting image a coarser gradation of tone than that of the daguerreotype. Same-sized paper prints were made in direct contact with the negatives. Calotype negatives remained popular with travelling photographers even after wet-plate glass negatives had been introduced because they were both lighter to carry and easier to work with in the field.

CARTE DE VISITE (EARLY 1860s–1880s)

A. A. E. Disdéri introduced a method of subdividing one glass negative to accommodate up to eight different small photographs, drastically reducing the cost of production. Cartes de visite were small cards similar in size to formal visiting cards, approximately 2 x 4 inches (64 x 114 mm), with a slightly smaller photographic print mounted on one side. The mount often bore the imprint of the photographer’s studio. Inexpensive in comparison with earlier photographic portraits, they were to become the first affordable method of providing portrait photographs for a mass market, for marketing portraits of celebrities for sale. DAGUERREOTYPE (1839–1850s)

This was the first successful commercial photographic process, perfected by Louis J. M. Daguerre in 1839. A daguerreotype is a (unique) direct positive on a silver-coated copper sheet or ‘plate’, without any negative. Exposure times varied from a few seconds to several minutes depending on several factors, including the specific chemistry employed and climatic conditions. The highly reflective polished silver surface of the daguerreotype could make it difficult to view and the image was often laterally reversed, but in expert hands it enabled an exceptional quality of detail and very sharp images. This process was probably used for the first time in Vietnam in 1845 by Jules Itier. FORMATS

Daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and early paper or glass negatives generally conform to standard sheet or ‘plate’ sizes, based on a whole-plate dimension of 6 x 8 inches (165 x 215 mm). The most common sizes were quarter-plate (3 x 4 inches, 83 x 105 mm) or sixth-plate (2 x 3 inches, 70 x 83 mm). During this period prints were made in contact with negatives and not enlarged. Larger format negatives such as 10 x 12 inches (254 x 305 mm) became popular with commercial view photographers. The term mammoth-plate is used to describe a very large negative format, typically measuring approximately 22 x 18 inches (558 x 457 mm). Cameras that were used for taking such photographs were large and cumbersome, so not surprisingly such photographs are scarce. In this book the term is used to refer to prints larger or smaller than cabinet cards. SALT (OR SALTED PAPER) PRINT (1840s–LATE 1850s)

Invented by William Henry Fox Talbot, this was the first viable photographic print process. Plain paper was soaked in a salt solution, sensitized with silver nitrate and then placed in contact with the negative for printing in daylight. Salt prints could be made from either paper or glass negatives. They can generally be distinguished from albumen prints by the matt surface texture of their plain paper. Talbot (and others since) also described these prints as calotypes or Talbotypes. STEREOGRAPHS (STEREOSCOPIC PHOTOGRAPHS OR STEREOVIEWS) (1851–EARLY 1900s)

A pair of photographs taken with paired lenses and mounted side by side on one support. When viewed through a stereoscope the two images merge to produce one three-dimensional photograph. The technology could be applied to daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, transparencies on glass or prints mounted on card. Stereographs are usually around 4 x 7 inches (102 x 178 mm).

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 400

WET-PLATE COLLODION GLASS NEGATIVE (1851–1880s)

Invented by Frederick Scott Archer, this process used a sheet of glass rather than paper as the support for the negative image. A liquid containing collodion was poured over the glass, leaving a thin surface layer which was chemically sensitized and exposed in the camera while still wet. Exposure times were considerably faster than those for daguerreotypes under similar circumstances and materials much cheaper. Multiple prints could be made from each negative and the smooth glass surface offered a considerably finer level of detail than was possible with calotype negatives. For further information see: Gordon Baldwin, Looking at Photographs: A Guide to Technical Terms, Malibu: J. Paul Getty Museum and London: British Museum Press, 1991. Brian Coe and Mark Haworth-Booth, A Guide to Early Photographic Processes, London: Victoria & Albert Museum in association with Hurtwood Press, 1983. James M. Reilly, Care and Identification of 19th-Century Photographic Prints, Rochester: Eastman Kodak Company, 1986.

PHOTOGRAPHIC TERMS 401

Select Bibliography a

‘Alphonse Eugène Jules Itier 1802–1877’, Revista de Cultura, Macau, no. 11–12, July–December 1990, pp. 82–96. Aubenas, Sylvie and Paul-Louis Robert (eds.), Primitifs de la photographie: Le calotype en France (1843–1860) [exhibition catalogue], Paris: Gallimard/Bibliotèque nationale de France, 2010. Baptiste, Pierre and Thierry Zéphir (eds.), Angkor: Naissance d’un mythe, Louis Delaporte et le Cambodge [exhibition catalogue], Paris: Gallimard/Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet, 2013. Bautze, Joachim K., ‘Émile Gsell (1838–79) and Early Photographs of Angkor’, in Mai Lin Tjoa-Bonatz, Andreas Reinecke and Dominik Bonatz (eds.), Crossing Borders: Selected Papers from the 13th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists, National University of Singapore Press, vol. 2, 2012, pp. 306–16. ———, ‘Émile Gsell à Angkor’, in Angkor: Naissance d’un mythe, Louis Delaporte et le Cambodge [exhibition catalogue], Paris: Gallimard/Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet, 2013, pp. 62–7. ———, ‘Le catalogue Émile Gsell’, in Pierre Baptiste and Thierry Zéphir (eds.), Angkor: Naissance d’un mythe, Louis Delaporte et le Cambodge [exhibition catalogue], Paris: Gallimard/Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet, 2013, pp. 268–73. ———, Unseen Siam: Early Photography 1860–1910, Bangkok: River Books, 2016. Bennett, Terry, History of Photography in China 1842–1860, London: Quaritch, 2009. ———, History of Photography in China: Chinese Photographers 1844–1879, London: Quaritch, 2013. ———, History of Photography in China: Western Photographers 1861–1879, London: Quaritch, 2010. ———, Old Japanese Photographs: Collectors’ Data Guide, London: Quaritch, 2006. ———, Photography in Japan 1853–1912, Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 2006. Boisjoly, François and John-Christophe Badot, Répertoire des photographes français d’outre-mer du XIXe siecle, Paris: Héritage, 2013. Chapuis, Oscar, The Last Emperors of Vietnam: From Tu Duc to Bao Dai, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. Clout, Hugh, ‘Charles Robequain, 1897–1963’, in Geographers Biobibliographical Studies, vol. 32, 2013, pp. 79–103. Corre, Dr. A., ‘Rapport sur les objects de l’age de la Pierre Polie et du bronze recueillis a Som-Ron-Sen (Cambodge)’, in Cochinchine Francaise: Excursions et Reconnaissances, No.1, Saigon: Imprimiere Du Gouvernement/Paris: Chez Challamel, 5 Rue Jacob, 1880, pp. 95–126. Cosserat, H., ‘La première photographie d’un site Cochinchinois: Le Fort de Non-Nay’, in Bulletin des Amis du Vieux, Hué, vol. 14, nos. 3–4, July–December 1927. [Cremnitz, Henry, ed.], Le Tonkin: Vues photographiques prises par Mr le Dr Hocquard, medecin-major, Paris, 1886(?). Crespin, L., Souvenir de la Cochinchine et du Cambodge: Album de propagande, Saigon, Marseille(?), [1922]. [Crespin, L.], Souvenir du Cambodge: Ruines d’Angkor, Saigon, 1920. Dao Hung, Saigon Traces of the Old Days, Saigon: Lao Dong Publishing House, 2013. Davies, C. Langdon (ed.), The China Magazine, 4 vols, Hong Kong, 1868–70. Degroise, Marie-Hélène, website: Photographes d’Asie (1840–1944), http://photographesenoutremerasie. blogspot.co.uk (accessed April 2017). Dieulefils, Pierre, L’Indochine Française cartes postales, Hanoi: P. Dieulefils, c.1910. ———, L’Indo-Chine pittoresque et monumentale: Annam-Tonkin, Hanoi: Éditions Artistiques, 1909. ———, L’Indo-Chine pittoresque et monumentale: Ruines d’Angkor Cambodge, Hanoi: P. Dieulefils, Photographe-Editeur, 1909. ———, Saigon et des environs Cochinchine, Hanoi: P. Dieulefils, Photographe-Editeur, c.1909. [Dieulefils, Pierre]. www.pierre-dieulefils.com/ (website devoted to the life and work of Dieulefils and maintained by members of the family). Dubois, Robert, Le Tonkin en 1900, 3DULV6RFLpWpIUDQF DLVHG·pGLWLRQVG·DUW>@ Falconer, John, Van Bombay tot Shanghai: From Bombay to Shanghai, Amsterdam: Stichting Fragment Foto and Rotterdam: Museum voor Volkenkunde, 1994. [Fontbrune, Loan de, ed.], Les premiers photographes au Viet Nam, Paris: Éditions Riveneuve, 2015. Franchini, Philippe and Jérôme Ghesquière, Des photographes en Indochine, Paris: Marval, 2001. Garnier, Francis, Voyage d’exploration en Indo-Chine effectué pendant les années 1866, 1867 et 1868, Paris: Libraire Hachette et Cie, 1873. [Gastaldy, Paul], Au berceau des Rois Khmers, Saigon: Edition d’Art Paul Gastaldy, 1929. ———, Cochinchine – Cambodge, Saigon: P. Gastaldy Studio, 1931–2.

Gimon, Gilbert, ‘Jules Itier, Daguerreotypist’, History of Photography, vol. 5, no. 3, July 1981, pp. 225–44. ———, ‘Jules Itier, Prestige de la photographie, 9 April 1980, pp. 6–31. Gourou, Pierre, Charles Robequain (1897–1963), Paris: Annales de géographie, 1964, no. 395. Hoquard, Charles-Édouard, Une campagne au Tonkin, Paris: Hachette, 1892; reissued Paris: Edition Arléa, 1999. Itier, Jules, Journal d’un voyage en Chine en 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 3 vols., Paris: Chez Dauvin et Fontaine, 1848–53. Itier, Jules (ed. Michel Boye), Journal de voyage au Sénégal et en Guyane (1842–1843), Bordeaux: Academie Montesquieu, 1999. Lavollée, Charles, ‘Bibliographie de la mission de Chine’, in France et Chine, Paris: Plon-Nourrit et Cie, 1900. ———, ‘Les voyages en Chine. M. J. Itier – M. de Ferrière Le Vayer’, L’Illustration, 22 July 1854, pp. 59–60. Le Breton, Louis, Marines de tous les pays, Paris: E. Savary, 1853. Lefébure, Antoine, Explorateurs photographes territoires inconnus 1850–1930, Paris: Editions La Découverte, 2003. Lévy, Paul, Vietnam, Paris: Editions Hoa-Qui, 1951. Massot, Gilles, ‘Jules Itier and the Lagrené Mission’, in History of Photography, vol. 39, pt. 4, 2015, pp. 319–47. McLeod, Mark W., The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention 1862–1874, New York: Praeger, 1991. Méhier de Mathuisieulx, Henri, Dans la brousse souvenirs du Tonkin, Tours: Maison Alfred Mame et Fils, 1885. Mizerski, Jim, Cambodia Captured: Angkor’s First Photographers in 1860’s Colonial Intrigues, Phnom Penh: Jasmine Image Machine, 2016. ——— (trans.), Elephant Train: Phnom Penh to Bangkok in 1871, Phnom Penh: Jasmine Image Machine, 2017. Montague, Joel and Jim Mizerski, John Thomson: The Early Years – In Search of the Orient, Bangkok: White Lotus, 2014. Moser, Alfred, ᫂἞ึᮇ᪥ᮏࡢ㢼ᬒ࡜ㅦࡢᑡᖺ⪅෗┿ᐙ [Scenery of Early Meiji Japan and the Mysterious Boy Photographer], Tokyo: Yosensha, 2016. Musée français de la Photographie, Bièvres, ‘Jules Itier, premières photographies de la Chine, 1844’ [exhibition catalogue], 2014. [Nadal, Fernand], La Cochinchine: Album général illustré de 456 photographies, Saigon: Edition Photo Nadal, [1925]. ———, Ruines D’Angkor, Saigon: Edition Photo Nadal Saigon, [c.1925]. ———, Saigon, Dornach, France: Braun et Cie, [c.1925]. Nguyen Duc Hiep (trans. Ellen Takata), ‘Photography in Vietnam from the End of the Nineteenth Century to the Start of the Twentieth’, in Trans Asia Photography Review, vol. 4, issue 2, Spring 2014. Noury, Jean, L’Indochine en cartes postales: avant l’ouragan 1900–1920, Chartres: Imprimerie Charron, 1984. Osborne, Milton, The French Presence in Cochinchina and Cambodia: Rule and Response (1859–1905), Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1969. Ovenden, Richard, John Thomson (1837–1921): Photographer, Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, 1997. Polak, Christian, ‘Les premiers photographes Français au Japon avant la Restauration Meiji de 1868’, in France Japon Eco, no. 107, Summer 2006, p. 66. ———, ‘Profession photographe!’ in France Japon Eco, no. 108, Autumn 2006, p. 73. Rosenberg, Gert, Wilhelm Burger: Ein Welt und Forschungsreisender mit der Kamera, 1844–1920, Vienna: Christian Brandstatter, 1984. Short, Anthony, The Origins of the Vietnam War, London: Longman, 1989. Souty, Jérôme, Pierre Fatumbi Verger: Du regard détaché à la connaissance initiatique, Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 2007. Theuns-de Boer, Gerda and Saskia Asser (eds.), Isidore van Kinsbergen (1821–1905): Photo Pioneer and Theatre Maker in the Dutch East Indies, Leiden: KITLV Press, 2005. Thomson, John, The Antiquities of Cambodia, Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, 1867. ———, Dix ans de voyages dans la Chine et l’Indo-Chine, Paris: Librairie Hachette et Cie, 1877. ———, ‘Notes of a Journey Through Siam to the Ruins of Cambodia’, unpublished paper submitted on 17 August 1866 to the Royal Geographical Society of London. Reproduced in full in Jim Mizerski, Cambodia Captured: Angkor’s First Photographers in 1860s Colonial Intrigues, Phnom Penh: Jasmine Image Machine, 2016, pp. 217–24. ———, The Straits of Malacca Indo-China and China, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 1875. Tips, Walter (trans.), Cities of Nineteenth Century Colonial Vietnam: Hanoi, Saigon, Hue and the Champa Ruins, Bangkok: White Lotus, 1999, pp. 97–164. Vincent, Thierry, Pierre Dieulefils: Photographie d’Indochine, Gignac-la-Nerthe: Imprimerie Borel et Feraud, 1997. [Vo An Ninh], A’nh Vo An Ninh, Hanoi: Agence Vietnamienne d’Information, 1991. White, Stephen, John Thomson: A Window to the Orient, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Wood, John, The Scenic Daguerreotype: Romanticism and Early Photography, University of Iowa Press, 1995.

EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM 404