This is a collection of precious historical photographs taken from a relatively old age, taken by the Englishman William Herbert Vacher and his friends William Josling, Robert Serra and others, in the late 1850s, when the Qing Dynasty was under the rule of the Xianfeng Emperor.
At that time, the Qing Dynasty was on the verge of the destruction of the country when Xianfeng ruled, xianfeng reigned for eleven years, and it was precisely during this period that the Qing Empire was constantly worried about internal and external troubles, from the outbreak of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, to the Second Opium War, and then to the signing of unequal treaties that humiliated the country again and again, Xianfeng was estimated to be like a fish in the throat, and his heart was haggard.
The people in this group of photographs are some ordinary people who were at the lowest level of society at that time, they had no status to earn a little money by hard work, including caravans, nannies, servants, shoemakers, coachmen and small traders, etc. We can't imagine how they were busy in the streets and alleys, nor how they struggled to maintain their family livelihoods. However, through these historical shadows of more than 160 years ago, we can gain insight into the real living conditions and images of the people under the rule of the Xianfeng Emperor at that time.
The photos were originally black and white images, and the pictures compiled and sent by this group have been repaired and colored by artificial intelligence AND AI, which can present you with a historical vicissitudes.
This is the late Qing Dynasty palanquin and palanquin photographed that year, and the palanquin was a common means of transportation for ancient officials and large households.
This is a nanny who was taking care of the children of foreigners.
This is the film of two neatly dressed maids serving a large household.
The picture shows a hawker carrying a basket full of teapots and pottery taken in October 1859, carrying heavy goods around the streets.
This photograph was taken in April 1859, when a man was punished with a shackle for beating a foreigner.
Photographed in 1858, a mobile vendor selling snacks on the street, pots and pans are complete, the whole pick is almost a hundred pounds, carrying it to walk in the streets and alleys, but also to work hard, the day is very hard.
This is a driver pushing a wheelbarrow, with his chest open and his clothes torn.
This was the more common street vendor selling dim sum at that time.
In 1859, a flute vendor was playing music to attract customers, which was relatively easy among the small traders at that time.
This was a shoemaker who was busy on the street at the time and his pick. Nowadays, it is difficult to see shoemakers in the cities and villages where we live, and in ancient times, people continued to wear clothes and shoes once they were torn and had to be repaired.
See these old photos more than 260 years ago, what do you think, welcome to leave a message after the article and share with you.
Source: Tuogu's Hundred Houses