Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images: Recently Added Galleries and Collections

John Zumbrun: Beijing street scenes, 1907 to 1929

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:35:20 GMT

Back in 1988, Catherine Curran Gamble wrote in her preface to a book which would publicize her late father's photographic work of China that it was quite by coincidence and accident that her family's visual heritage had just recently been rediscovered. It turns out that in his photographic endevors, Sidney Gamble, whose first visit to China falls in the year 1917, had a very skilled precursor, namely, John D. Zumbrun.

Comparing many of the images between the two, one discovers similar themes (the horse shoeing image for example, etc.). Zumbrun, of course, had already resided in Beijing long before Gamble arrived, and even longer before Hedda Morrison started to roam the streets of Beijing with her Rolleiflex. It is curious, then, that Zumbrun is virtually unknown, although his residency in Beijing covered over 20 mostly uninterrupted years (1907-1929). The reason for this deficit in our knowledge is similar to the one given in Curran Gamble's preface: his photographic oeuvre had been locked away for the better part of 70 years; the archival rediscovery process is just beginning. By way of a simple introduction, Zumbrun was the owner of the commercially very successful store "CameraCraft" in the Legation Quarters, the official photographer of many Chinese notables, and quite possibly Kodak's main distributor for northern China.

The street scenes presented here are but a small selection of his work. It goes without saying that he was technically astute, and had a gifted eye for composition. Looking at the printout of his archive which I have on my desk, it is clear that his interests were far reaching, from "the man in the street" to the worker in the cloisonnee factory (images 15 & 16) to the traditional trades and crafts as they were practiced in Beijing at the time. Zumbrun paints an extremely rich and diverse canvass of a quickly changing nation, covering parliamentary sessions, the signing of treaties, Puyi's wedding, student demonstrations, and many other critical events. It is to be hoped that with these pages his work will be made more public and recognized for what it is: the earliest and - barring further discoveries of the same nature - the most complete visual documentation of Beijing of the first quarter of the 20th century.

I am exceedingly grateful to Mr. Norman Hodgson and Mrs. Helen Olson (John Zumbrun's daughter, born and raised in Beijing) for making the original prints available. Scanned on my Epson 4990 to 800 DPI TIF, further processing (preliminary digital restoration) in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca & Beijing

Bars! (Tsingtao - Shanghai, 1940)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:41:01 GMT

From a sailor's album (by the name of Harold - Harry - Carrico). Photographs taken between June 20 and August 24, 1940, in Tsingtao (Qingdao) and Shanghai. Carrico was a seaman on the SS Pike (aka Submarine 173), which used Shanghai and Tsingtao as a regular base, until the attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec. 1941, that is, when Japanese authorities closed the Tsingtao port to American warships and merchants.

Readings:
Andrew Field: Shanghai's dancing world: cabaret culture and urban politics, 1919-1954 (HK, Chinese University Press, 2001)

Serendipity collection 撒散图片库

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:44:25 GMT

A collection of chance encounters, accidents, and discoveries. A couple of these pictures are arranged ("staged"), otherwise things were left alone and just slightly recontextualized. Against usual (somewhat harried) practice, with these photographs I did pay a bit more attention to exposure and composition.

Taken in the following locations:
Norwich, upstate New York.
New York City, Battery Park.
San Francisco.
Beijing, China.
Sanya, Hainan Island, China.
Bar Harbor, Maine.
Rockland, Massachussetts.
Ithaca, upstate New York.
Paris, France.
Sergiev Posad, Russia.
Marburg, Germany.

In contrast to my other collections and galleries, this collection is not serialized or homogeneous in any way. Cameras and gear differ considerably, from medium format to digital.

Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca, NY

Royal visit to Shanghai, 1890

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:43:41 GMT

Reproduction of a commemorative album published by the Shanghai Mercury shortly after His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught (Queen Victoria's seventh child, Prince Arthur) had visited Shanghai on April 8, 1890 with his wife, Princess Louise of Hohenzollern. As a Freemason, the Duke was presented by an address of Shanghai Freemasons, and made an appearance at the Shanghai Masonic Lodge.

The reporters of the Mercury called the royal visit the "greatest success Shanghai has ever witnessed", no doubt alluding to the worldwide recognition it brought to this up- and coming port city on China's southern coast. Praise was bestowed on the international community at large which had contributed in this success, stating that there was no other place on earth where a large crowd of onlookers and spectators were so well-behaved and orderly: "Where else but here could a crowd of 200.000 persons be found to give so much trouble? Nowhere else."

Shanghai itself must have been in a very festive mood indeed - judging from the few pictures published in this slim volume, the main arteries (Bund, Nanjing Road) the Duke and Duchess would pass through, for a brief period were adorned with what landscape architects call "soft monuments", disposable arrangements of flowers and plants mounted on (in this case) bamboo structures in the form of archways and the like.

The Royal Party stayed but a brief two days, and then sailed on to Bombay, India, where it arrived on April 15, 1890.

Images provided by Prof. Michael Schoenhals, to whom I extend my sincere gratitude.

Thomas H. Hahn
January 2012, Ithaca, NY

John Zumbrun - Aerial panoramas of Beijing

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:23:04 GMT

Photographs taken by John Zumbrum from a balloon over what today is the Chongwenmen/southern Dongdan area. The old railway station and the freight yards are on the lower right in most of the images, the (former) American Embassy compound is situated to the lower left.

Dates of this series unknown, probably in the early 1920s.

John Zumbrun: Worthies and weddings in Beijing

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:24:47 GMT

Amoy - Xiamen 1880

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:07:54 GMT

A series of panoramic and other views of Xiamen (Amoy) in around 1880. The views include the harbor, the British and German Consulates, the Pasedag House, various western-style mansions, and a variety of peaks and scenic spots.

The photographs are attributed to the local (Gulangyu) Chinese studio by the name of Rui Sheng 瑞生 (Jui Shan) and Yi Fang 宜芳 (E-Fong), "Photographer, Portrait and Ship Painters". Nothing much is known about thiis studio except as is advertised in the paper in image 8. The images displayed in this gallery may count among the earliest of Fuzhou (Foochow) and environs. They are of high quality, attributed with fine tonality and demonstrate excellent mastery of the medium.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

John Zumbrun: Yuan Shikai at the Altar of Heaven (1913)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:02:13 GMT

A sequence of unique photographs showing Yuan Shikai attending the state sacrifice at the Altar of Heaven (Temple of Heaven) in Peking (Beijing) on December 23, 1913.

Photographs taken by John Zumbrum.

Thomas H. Hahn

Ithaca, NY

John Zumbrun: May 4th Student demonstrations in Beijing

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:00:44 GMT

Serendipity collection II (Monochromes)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:43:30 GMT

A small collection of b/w (monochrome) photographs, taken over a considerable period of time, with very different equipment, such as Hasselblad, Nikon film and Nikon digital, the Ricoh GRD2 and Olympus.

The play with light and shadows is what makes the development of photographs in black and white so exciting.

For portraits and people shots in b/w please visit http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p193233205/ .

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

Elmira vernacular

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:00:20 GMT

Maybe I should call this series of imprints "A city without a face". It somehow seems that way, despite some semblance of architectural and social coherence (especially in the Near Westside Historic District). It is not as gritty and fractured as Binghamton - well, few places in mid-to upstate New York really are, Kingston and Utica come to mind - but it also seems much less ambitious. It's most significant achievement probably lies well in the past: it was the starting point of the Chemung Canal, and a connector to the Junction Canal (corner of Washington and State) which - briefly - brought so much coal into Elmira that it was the logistical coal capital of the entire northeast region of the country. Major railroads followed the canal, and still played a huge part during both World Wars. Much of the extensive infrastructure is decommissioned these days, although the post-war National Highway Act in the 60s created quick road access with Route 17. At the same time, concepts of "urban renewal" swept the land, with decidedly mixed results, as can be witnessed in Syracuse, Binghamton and here. The flood of 1972 proved disastrous, and it appears as if the downtown area never really recovered. Water Street East certainly lacks vitality, and Clemens Square (not pictured) requires a complete makeover in my view.

Elmira is not a bad place to raise a family, though. Rent and real estate costs are low, and according to a recent study by an insurance group, it ranks as the fourth safest small community in the entire country (pop. under 150.000). However, once the children mature and reach college age, the area has little to offer to retain and employ them.

Visited on a rather mild Monday in mid-December with perfectly strange lighting. Olympus E-5 with PanaLeica Summilux and Elmarit lenses.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

Coney Island, Brooklyn (Leica M9)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:15:24 GMT

Images of Coney island from December 30, 2011. It was a ridiculously mild day, with plenty of folks out and about. Dominant languages were Russian and English, in that order.

Coney Island is world-famous for its beaches and amusement parks, three of which are on the National Register of Heritage Sites. It is also home to the NY Aquarium. An easy destination these days, CI has undergone many changes in the past couple of decades. It is (yet again) slated for a major rezoning battle, and - curiously - is the site of one of only two gated housing communities in NYC (Sea Gate).

All pictures taken with the Leica M9 and 35 'Cron ASPH. The center weighted light measurement of the Leica helped with the contre-jour captures, to a degree. It was a bit of a test regarding DR - my Fuji S5 or the Sony A900 probably would have done a bit better. However, the 35 ASPH lens being what it is, there is exceedingly fine detail in these files, the texturing of each plank of the boardwalk is highly pronounced for example.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

The floods of 2011 (Owego, NY & environs)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:39:42 GMT

Images taken on September 14, 2001, about a week after the historic flood which destroyed much of the agricultural sector of southern New York state, and took out two major cities, namely, Owego and Binghamton. As of the time of this writing (mid-November), many households still must be counted as evacuees, their residencies being either damaged, or complete losses. Note image 28 as an indication on the velocity and level of flooding in Owego. The city is still in rebuilding mode. FEMA and other, local, agencies are assisting with grant programs, heavy machinery, soup kitchens and temporary shelter.

First 4 images taken with iPhone 4, all others Sony A900.
Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca

Early photographs of Daoist sites and practice 道教舊影

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:09:06 GMT

A selection of photographs, original and published/printed, related to Daoist sites and practice. The time frame of this collection will extend backwards as far as technically and topically feasible, and forward - hopefully - into the 1970s (through the end of the Cultural Revolution, that is). For more current photographs related to Daoism, see the galleries under "(Sacred) Mountains and Sites in China".

Images such as these are difficult to trace. Outside of Hedda Morrison's photographs of Mt. Hua, with its Daoist cloisters and sword-wielding masters, and Anne Swann Goodrich's study of The Peking Temple of the Eastern Peak: the Tung-yüeh Miao in Peking and its Lore (1964) , there is very little coherent visual documentation of Daoism's late Qing and (post-)Republican era history, either published in print, or unpublished as unique mementos. To arrive at materials covering what was left of Daoist practice (or sites) during the CR is an even more fragmented undertaking. The photographs here represent these circumstances, by drawing from Perckhammer (1930), Osvald Siren (1924), Carl Kupfer (1911), Melchers (1921), Boerschmann (1906-09), John D. Zumbrum (1911-1929), etc. Added - and of considerable interest - is a unique pair of photographs of Daoist Associations (Baoji & Jinan), and a photograph of a Daoist turned filial son-in-mourning who, according to the photograph's description, did not utter a single word over the entire mourning period of three years.

Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca, NY
Last update November 20, 2011

Moving on - Abandoned homes in upstate New York

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:26:21 GMT

Upstate New York is a rather troubled area. Geographically speaking, the term includes the following wider areas:
- Buffalo
- Rochester
- Syracuse
- Albany
- Watertown
- Utica
- Binghamton
This listing encompasses the scenic Fingerlakes Region; most of the photographs in this gallery originate from here.

With economic growth lagging well behind the national average, even in a good year, it is no surprise that upstate is deficient in a variety of ways. The region suffers severe job losses, transformation of good land to fallow land, scores of farms going out of business, abandoned homes, trailer parks that litter the (still very scenic) landscape, low industrial output, fragmented cityscapes, southward migration, the walmartization of its retail infrastructure, and so on. It's been that way for a while. A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published in 1999 gives upstate low marks for economic performance even in times when the rest of the state and indeed the entire country was pulling ahead with much higher GDP numbers. There is no reason to be nostalgic, however. Upstate is a rugged place. People conduct their affairs in a straightforward manner. It is stating the obvious that New York state's most competitive asset in the global economy lies "downstream", in Manhattan. For those in charge, it would be wise - for once - to "look the other way" again and discover what upstate can contribute in the context of industrial and agricultural production.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

Red and grey series (Lightroom 2)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:40:07 GMT

Most of these images were developed in Adobe Lightroom v2 orv3 using the SinCity preset developed by Matt Kloskowski (see http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2008/presets-sin-city-look-sort-of/ for more).

The last batch in this series represents Ming dynasty architecture of Northern China with Qing dynasty implements, reduced to two traditional core colors: red and grey.

Additional images processed in the same way as described below, with various tweaks.

Cameras used: Fuji F40fd; Olympus E-330 with the formidable 11-22 WA lens; Nikon D2X, Sony R1, Leica D-Lux 4 and the Fuji S5.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

The China Stone (Castle) Garden

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:04:52 GMT

Photographs of a European style castle with a Chinese style rock garden, near Tianjin. About 16 years in the making, these palatial grounds will open to the public in June 2012. By then, the cost estimate will stand at around 20 million USD. The site is connected to the center of Tianjin via a level 1 highway.

The owner, Mr. Chen (in the last image), is also the designer and builder. In talking to him he made it clear that the design is "inspired", and not copied or transplanted. I don't think he ever traveled outside China. His father started a very famous collection of decorative rocks, used in Chinese-style landscaping throughout the Far East. The site depicted here is home to a nationally acclaimed collection of rockery, including fossilized dinosaurs.

The main building, a European castle-like mansion, has over 6000 square meters of interior space. Three more, rather substantial building in the same style, plus galleries, walkways, bridges etc., make up the public compound area. A series of stand-alone, two-story villas (these are not shown here), form a straight line behind the main building. As with many eclectic sites of this nature throughout the world, there is a cave themed structure on the east side (images 22 to 27).

As mentioned above, opening month will be June 2012. As far as a business model goes, the owner is not interested in recovering his substantial investments. It will be a club, an amusement park, and whatever else might strike Mr. Chen's fancy.

Site visit on November 25, 2011. Photographed with Olympus E-5 and Leica Vario-Elmarit. Color processing in Lightroom 3.4, b/w processing in NIK Silver Efex 2.0

Thomas H. Hahn
Tianjin, Beijing, and Ithaca, NY

Urban incoherence - North Binghamton

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 02:08:05 GMT

Architectural portrait of the area around Eldridge, Chenango and Water Street in Binghamton, NY.

Three sites of note:

Depot Street 21 - A large warehourse/condo brick structure from the 1880s; it won the 2006 architectural preservation award of PAST, the Preservation Association of the Southern Tier.
The Lackawanna Train Station, surviving, somewhat miracuously, the grand schemes of "urban renewal".
The Derby Knitting Factory on 301 Water Street, or what is left of it after the fire of June 11, 2011.

Leica M9, Zeiss 28mm; processing in LR3.4, Nik SE2 and CS5

Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca, NY

Upstate New York - Some buildings of note

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 02:38:24 GMT

Portraits & candids East-West (Fuji S5 & Sigma 150)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:35:12 GMT

All images taken within a short time span, maybe 4 weeks, in two countries (China and the USA). The equipment is always the same: The Fujifilm S5 and the Sigma 150mm Macro. On DX this lens gives enough reach for close-ups, portraits and candid shots (as well as of course macros, which are not included here). It preserves colors accurately, doesn't add or substract, which the S5 has a tendency to, in JPG at least. Most of these files were developed in Lightroom 3 (final version) from JPGs in fact. At present I prefer the Sigma over my Zeiss 100mm Macro, mainly I suppose because of its responsive, completely silent AF operation and its farther reach. Image quality wise, the Zeiss still pulls away, but both are close enough in terms of IQ to achieve completely satisfactory (or even inspriring) results.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY
P.S.: I've appended two images taken with a Leica M9 and the completely stunning 75mm Summilux (Sep.24, 2011)

South Otselic (Leica M9)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:24:45 GMT

One of the interesting things about living in upstate New York is that one has ready access to the 19th century. Communities, villages, pastures and landscapes abound which are representative of the ideas and ideals of that time period. In fact, many places seem to have slept right through the 20th century, and are on very shaky ground when it comes to the 21st. And so it is only a short drive, or a short hike, to step back into a historical moment when this part of the country was flush with capital and enterprise. I won't argue that South Otselic, of all places, qualifies as an ideal place which would attract the seeking pilgrim of 19th century values and achievements, but it is most certainly one of the most serene and well preserved (by American standards) time capsules I have come across over the past years. These images were made during my third visit to the village. The first time, I remember it very clearly, was a couple of years ago, when I returned from a lengthy trip up the course of the old Chenango Canal. It was evening, but not quite dark, and as I entered the village, the space emitted a calmness which caused me to stop my car in the middle of the main intersection, pull over, and just stand there below the Cox Block (dated 1890), taking it all in. There is no red light, nothing to interrupt or disaggregate the space which is formed by the merging of rte 26 and county road 13. The surrounding structures are ecclectic, yet aged in the same fashion. They lean into each other, and the conversations of their childhood have long given way to fading memories of commerce and toil and extraction. The demographics have shifted over time of course, too, the village has lost almost 40% of its former population (it is said to have peaked at 1700), and I am not sure if this remote part of Chenango county will acquaint itself with the notion of growth again any time soon. In that it is not unlike most rural villages in the upstate area. What stands out, however, is the coherence of its old structures (over 60 of them on the Register of National Heritage Sites since 1983); the reputation of once being the "fishing line capital of the world" (as designated by Governor Rockefeller in 1966); and its quiet and peaceful charme.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

Industrial landscapes - Black River country

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:15:38 GMT

The former Gould Paper Factory, now defunct. Founded by Gordias H.P. Gould in 1895, it shut its doors for good as the Lyons Falls Pulp & Paper in 2001. The site is hazardous on condition of unsound structures, suspected asbestos, underground pits and other factors. However, there is no fence which would restrict unauthorized entry. The Black River, dammed and regulated here at what is probably its most scenic spot, over time has seen its fair share of unregulated waste dumping by the paper mill, too. A 6MW hydro-power plant is still operated adjacent to the old mill. When LFPP finally closed, many workers (about 190) in Lyons Falls and environs lost their jobs. Most of these have not been recovered. The site's fate has not yet been decided. One - very recent - proposal extols the virtues of the location and suggests to convert the old factory site (which had its own railroad connection) into a giant greenhouse, supplying the entire Northeast of the US with locally grown fresh produce and herbs. It will take a major cleanup effort and a big investment to execute this sort of plan.

Update (Jan. 2012): Thanks to a recent $350,000 grant from the Empire State Development Authority, Lyons Falls is moving forward with a plan to renovate and reuse a vacant paper mill. Reuse plans include a hydroponic greenhouse operation, manufacturing space, and a space for academic study and research. (Watertown News of Dec.14, 2011)

All images taken with Sony A900, Zeiss 16-35 or Zeiss 135. Processing in CS5, NIK Silver Efex 2, and LR3.

Colors & flowers, from summer to fall 花的颜色

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:52:07 GMT

A gallery of transitional colors, from summer to fall. Photographs were mostly taken with the Fuji S5 and the Zeiss 100mm, with a couple of exceptions (Nikon D2X, Leica D-Lux 4, and Olympus 8080). The Zeiss does enormously well on the Fuji.

Processing was done in Adobe Lightroom or Capture One 4.

Thomas Hahn
Ithaca, NY
September 2009

United embracing the struggle of the revolution (1973)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:57:49 GMT

The theme of this series is the united struggle to enact the directives of the tenth general party assembly; each segment of society (especially the youths), and each minority, is asked to contribute to Mao's vision of production, practice and research.

The date of this set of propaganda exhibition photographs is December 1973. Note that #19 is missing.

Epson scanner 4990, processed in Lightroom 3.2

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

Beijing - Views from above

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:09:34 GMT

A small series of views from the 80th floor of the tallest building in Beijing, the #3 tower of the Shangri-La owned China Trade Center. This tower, 330 tall, stands at the heart of Beijing's Central Business District (CBD) in the eastern part of the city. It overlooks on one side Rem Koolhaas' CCTV tower site, and is in close proximity to the so-called 12 Golden Lots of China's capital, so named because these just recently auctioned off building lots each brought a huge amount of revenue into the city's coffers, with one site alone bordering on a billion dollars it is said, just for the rights to build, not the land itself.

The tower itself is an interesting one actually. The glass paneling is bullet proof throughout, and - accounting for the events of 9/11 - some floors below the hotel (which occupies floors 64 to 81) are strictly reserved as evacuation spaces, with hazard gear and other emergency provisions stored here. They cannot be occupied or marketed in any other fashion.

All pictures taken with the Sony R1. Processing done in Lightroom using my own color formula to give this mostly nondescript urban expanse a bit of a sandbox and toy-like character.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca/Beijing, April 2011

Winter scenes in b/w

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:19:43 GMT

Life in a Chinese city (1985/86)

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:04:18 GMT

Photographs taken in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the mid-1980s, when I lived, studied and taught at Sichuan University. Most of the old urban fabric is gone now. It was an intimate and intricate city once, and, if one paid attention to detail, one could still detect traces of interesting slices of the past, imperial, Republican or socialist-revolutionary. With the Cultural Revolution barely a decade past, some of the people encountered in the streets or teahouses still had a traumatized air about them. Unlike Shanghai, it was evident that individuals and instititions were still in a state of suspicion when it came to dealing with strangers, including foreigners. The term neidi (the "interior of the country") was frequently used to explain this less than open attitude.

On the other hand, Chengdu was Deng Xiaoping's home turf, and his call for economic reform was implemented here much earlier than in any city north of the Yangzi. A meal for five in a privately owned restaurant (and there were many of them) near campus was the equivalent to about $3, including a bottle of Green-Leaf beer. New zoning regulations, transportation and new housing would soon wipe the old neighborhoods clean, with only a few pockets deemed worth preserving, mainly around the Buddhist Wenshuyuan and the Taoist Qingyanggong temples. Signs of wholesale displacement were already in evidence back in 1985. Though often lacking in opportunity, in sanitation and contemporary amenities, in the old streets, for a short while, life seemed good.

Additional note: By and large, Chengdu was a car-less, walkable city back then.

Equipment used: Nikon & Leica with manual-focus lenses. Film scanned on Epson 4990 and processed in Lightroom 3.2.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY

Shanghai scrapbook

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:23:18 GMT

Chinese artists and the city 近代城市化与当代艺术家

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:53:32 GMT

On Nov. 1, 2007, Metropolis Magazine recently printed an interview with urban planner Sun Huasheng 孙骅声 (if you do not know Sun Huasheng, think Shenzhen urban development from 1980 to today). In this interview, Sun states: "I usually say that an architect or planner who wants to do urban design, if they neglect people’s movement and their feelings, their work is without any soul. In a word, it must be people-oriented because the soul of urban design is people." While this may sound obvious, the reality of urban planning in contemporary China is in fact quite the opposite, and - given Weng Peijun's striking images of Shenzhen as a place of defragmentation and functionalized desolation - Sun's words strike me as almost preposterous.
This gallery of photographs (most of which were taken in various galleries in China in the past 5 years) includes many artists as critical of urbanization as Weng. Obviously, modes of expression differ: the Gao Brothers use the naked body as the last line of defense against an environment which increasingly becomes ungovernable. Zhou Jun's b/w photographs of Beijing's structures, partially dipped in red as if the site was bleeding, are striking examples of how profound the body and the soul of the city of Beijing are affected by change. Song Feel, a Korean artist working in Beijing, places a person not unlike Rodin's Thinker on top of a large pole sticking out of a Beijing map. He can't make sense of the place obviously. And Hong Haochang needs to bring his Yunnan color palette to Beijing in order to create a visual narrative of Tiananmen Square which is striking both in its degrees of reverence and distortion. Yang Xiaobing (theorizing about the effect of urban noise, Miao Xiaochun, Daniel Lee are included here, too, as is Song Dong with his extremely interesting installation of the house of his deceased father, displaying all belongings that once were his, thus reminding us of the specific spatial and ecological footprint of a previous generation.

Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY, November 30, 2007 (updated June 26, 2010)

Feline business

th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:20:30 GMT

Photographs of our cat, its heirs,and its slayings.