Tag: 1844

Hong Kong Tea House - 1868-1871

UK: How a 14-Year Old “Sir Harry Parkes” Witnessed the First [1842] “British” Photograph Taken in China! (26.10.2026)

As with all things – the “devil is in the detail” – so-to-speak. It is ironic that the British government’s attitude toward the photographic technology invented by English scientist – Walter Talbot – made it so expensive that virtually no-one British could afford to use it either in (or outside) the UK! Instead, British citizens travelling abroad often had to use the French photographic technology developed by Louis Daguerre. We can see this contradiction in operation as Western photography unfolded in China during the early 1840s. It would seem that the British took the first photograph in China (of themselves) during 1842 – but no known example of this picture exists today. Of course, a copy might exist somewhere, as of yet undiscovered. Nevertheless, there is a diary extract recording this event written by a 14-year old Harry Parkes – who would go on to be a very important British diplomat.

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Felice Beato - British Photographer!

UK: The Historical Background of Colonial-Era Western Photography in Beijing! (26.10.2026)

What is truly curious, however, is that more than 30 years have since passed, yet this particular panoramic scene remains in my possession alone; I have neither encountered nor discovered the existence of a second copy. Thus, for the time being, it can be said that the earliest images of the Inner City of Beijing—specifically the area around Tiananmen—(found in printed materials from the Republic of China era) exist only in my personal collection; no one else possesses them. In terms of historical narrative, this photograph—a view of Beijing’s Inner City forcibly captured by Anglo-French aggressors—represents an eternal source of pain for the Chinese people. It serves as stark, tangible proof that a nation left behind will inevitably fall victim to aggression.

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People on the streets of Guangzhou, photographed by Jules Itier in 1844.

UK: Governor-General Qiyang (耆英) – [1844] First Photograph Taken in [Guangzhou] China! (26.10.2026)

When photographic technology first entered China during the mid-19th century (from Europe) – the circumstances that surrounded this event were far from pleasant. Photography historian and author of “Oriental Photography Notes” – Na Mo Ai (南无哀) – said, “The Opium War was the cue for Western photography to invade China”— In 1844, the French Labignie Mission visited China and forced the Qing government, which had suffered defeat in the First Opium War (agaunst England), to sign the (Unequal) “Sino-French Whampoa Treaty”. During the negotiations, the Mission’s “Customs Officer” (Jules Itier) summoned the Chinese Representative (who was in fact ethnic “Manchurian”) – Governor-General Qiyang (耆英) [1787-1858] of Liangguang (Minister of Commerce for the Five Ports) – where his presence was recorded at the meeting thruogh the taking of a “photograph”. The above front-face “portrait” of Qiyang is believed to be the first modern “photograph” taken on the Mainland of China.

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"We Will Win Because We Are Right and You Are Wrong!"

On How Marx Exposed “Inverted” Bourgeois Religious Thinking – and Proved Hitler Wrong – the Jews Did Not Invent Communism! (24.6.2025)

In fact, there is one sublime and pristine observational comment made by Karl Marx which kills all theistic religion dead in the water – never to be re-born again. This is a very different situation than simply deciding to be an atheist or non-theist, etc. Anyone can place their mind anywhere on an arbitrary scale that measures “belief” and “disbelief”. Hitler, for instance, had so many contradictory beliefs that it is obvious his thought processes were all over the place and lacked a proper anchoring in existential logic and reason. He ordered 800,000 ethnic Germans to be publicly executed (many beheaded with an axe) for disagreeing with his flaky thinking. As Hitler possessed “no original thought” – he was unable to produce any truly “original thinking”. Hitler simply spent his time recycling old hatreds in new ways, believed scarecrows were ancient fertility gods, declared June 21st New Year’s Day, and made sure his maniacal soldiers received a steady supply of performance enhancing amphetamines – drugs that enabled the wounded to keep fighting and the usually placid to be full of rage and anger.

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The Case for Karl Marx NOT Being an Ethnic Jew! (2.7.2023)

His mother was the daughter of a Prussian (Christian) aristocrat. Marx would have experienced Judaism very much in the same objective manner that most non-Jews do – through the pages of academic books and perhaps the odd site-seeing tour. Indeed, Marx even penned an article addressing the so-called ‘Jewish Question’ – where he treats the presence (and activities) of Jews with an alarming frankness. This has led a number of commentators to treat Marx in something of a unique way, as he is simultaneously accused of being a Jew on the one-hand, and acting in an anti-Semitic (Secular) manner on the other!

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