反思“本土性”:重审中国早期摄影史料

Reflecting“Localization”:On Historical Texts of Early Chinese Photography

19世纪中后期,王韬日记对华人摄影师罗元佑的称赞,以及汤姆森中国行记对华人摄影师赖阿芳的嘉许,是两则常被学界引述,以佐证中西摄影师审美趣味不同、且中国摄影师更加胜出的早期摄影史料。本文从“本土”和“他者”视角针对上述文本展开细读,通过重审这两则史料及分析其作者所处历史语境,指出以上述史料确证中国早期摄影“本土性”的问题之所在,并进一步反思“中国性”的有无,以及何以绵延或建构等问题。

During the second half of the 19th century,two pieces of highly cited historical texts of early Chinese photography,which are compliments to Chinese native photographers Luo Yuanyou and Lai Afong,in Wang Tao’s diary and John Thomson’s travel notes about China,are used to prove that not only the aesthetic tastes of Chinese and western photographers are different,but also Chinese photographers’aesthetic tastes are better than western photographers.Through reexamining the original texts and historical contexts,as well as close reading from both“local”and“the other’s”perspectives,this paper challenges the confirmation of the so-called“nativeness”of early Chinese photography.Furthermore,this paper also addresses inquiries to the existence,continuity and construc-tion of the“Chineseness”.