An old Chinaman – Historic Print
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
This rare historic photograph captures An old Chinaman in remarkable detail. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.
An old Chinaman
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Few details survive about this portrait of an elderly Chinese man, and its title, *An old Chinaman*, reflects the dismissive habit of 19th-century photographers and publishers who labeled sitters by ethnicity rather than by name. Dated to about 1880, the picture was made when Chinese immigrants were a visible part of the population in the American West, especially California, and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 would soon restrict their entry. Portraits like this were often circulated as "types" for curiosity or commentary, so the image reveals as much about how viewers were invited to see Chinese men as it does about the man himself.
| Medium | 1 photographic print. |
|---|---|
| Notes | [ca. 1880] |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,094 × 1,536 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-123625 |
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