I just saw today on Lifehacker that Google is now hosting 10 million photos from America's first all-photography magazine: LIFE. Naturally, I hopped over and scoured whatever old pictures they had of Taiwan, and I found some interesting stuff.
One of the first things that struck me was the use of the fitting nomenclature used to refer to the KMT. Throughout almost all of the photos I've found, they are referred to as "Chinese Nationalists" and not Koumingtang or KMT. This terminology has been lost in more recent reporting on the party that still maintains power over the executive and legislature here in Taiwan, though such references do seem to be making a comeback.
I've also yet to see a photo that doesn't refer to the PRC as "Red China" or "Red Chinese."
It's also striking to see the number of photos of high level American officials in Taiwan, signs of a time long gone. Along the same lines, I can't find any pictures of Taiwan after 1970 (when things started going sour for the Chinese Nationalist government on the international stage). Likewise, there are also much fewer photos from China after the 1970s, but there are a few
I'd be interested in any additional information anyone might have regarding these photos. Anything that sticks out. Also, please send me any posts or comments you have on other photos you find in the archives.
Note on content: all information listed below the photos is straight from the LIFE archive. All misspellings or outdated romanizations are original. Any notes that I've made are in red. MOREOVER, some of these images contain elements of NUDITY or DEATH. Be advised.
Everyone's favorite dictators
(Front row L-R) US Amb. Patrick Hurley, Gen Chiang Kai-Shek, & Communist ldr. Mao Tse Tung; (back L, Chiang Ching-Kuo, the son of Gen. Chiang) during ill-fated US attempt to negotiate between Communist and Nationalist Chinese forces.
Location:
Chungking, China
Date taken:
1945
Photographer:
Jack Wilkes
Propaganda moves
Physcological warfare unit using colored balloons to float propaganda, incl. flag to Chinese mainland.
Location:
Quemoy [Kinmen, 金門], China
Date taken:
August 1958
Photographer:
John Dominis
And in the balloon shells...
Nationalist leaflets to be dropped on main land.
Location:
Taiwan
Date taken:
August 1958
Photographer:
John Dominis
...and by sea, cross over from the reactionaries to the progressives
Nationalist leaflets.
Location:
Taiwan
Date taken:
August 1958
Photographer:
John Dominis
"Red China" bombing Kinmen
Red Chinese artillery shells hit Red Cross symbol on roof of hospital. [While I don't remember the exact figures, Kinmen was shelled for years, sometimes on a daily basis, amounting to hundreds of thousands of shells left on the island]
Location:
Quemoy, Taiwan
Date taken:
October 1958
Photographer:
John Dominis
Example
Decapitated head of Communist guerrilla leader Ting Hsi-Shan executed by Chinese Nationalists hanging on wall in village 30 miles from Shanghai.
Location:
Tsingpu, China
Date taken:
February 1948
Photographer:
Jack Birns
Proof that there were once open spaces in Taipei
People walking through large portals.
Location:
Taipeh, Taiwan
Date taken:
1950
Photographer:
Carl Mydans
The "Coolies"
Coolies packing cart in front of a large billboards. [The billboard is for "Three Star Toothpaste," a brand that is not surprisingly no longer around]
Location:
Formosa, China
Date taken:
1950
Photographer:
Carl Mydans
Homecoming for Anti-Communist soldiers
The returning of Anti-Communist prisoners passing through city streets jammed with welcoming crowd.
Location:
Taipeh, Taiwan
Date taken:
1954
Photographer:
Joseph Scherschel
[Can someone explain this? Are these Nationalist soldiers who had been caught in the PRC and returned to Taiwan?]
Bath time
Girls nude bathing in sulphur hot baths. [I'm guessing, since this is in "Taipeh," that these women are bathing in Beitou (it's encouraging to hear how much my Chinese has improved since I took this video).]
Location:
Taipeh, China
Date taken:
March 1949
Photographer:
Jack Birns
What'll it be?
Globe in office of Chinese President Chiang Kai-Shek in Formosa.
Location:
Taiwan
Date taken:
September 1961
Photographer:
John Dominis
[I can't find any pictures of Taiwan after 1961]
Then, it all changed...
Nixon In China
Pres. Richard Nixon (L) toasting w. Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai at banquet. (Image is probably flopped) [It is]
Location:
Beijing, China
Date taken:
February 22, 1972
Photographer:
John Dominis
8 comments:
Fabulous collection of photographs, thanks for posting these. I'm especially fond of the balloon-floated flag. Protesters in Taipei should have tried that a couple weeks ago.
Thanks for this very interesting post!
I really love the color-photo, it seems so unrealistic cause of the colored baloons...
You can't find pictures of Taiwan after 1961, but I heard Google hasn't finished scanning and uploading all LIFE photos, so... maybe it's related?
Thanks, Todd and Pierre.
Yeah, Todd, the balloon floating flag is interesting. I was more interested in the "bombs" hanging from the bottom that I presume, according to the subsequent photos, are filled with propaganda leaflets about resisting the communists.
Pierre, I didn't know they hadn't finished scanning the photos. That may very well explain why there aren't any photos of Taiwan after 1961. Thanks for filling me in.
Damn. That's got to be the most interesting thing I've read this week.
Brilliant.
I can't believe Life had nude photos way back then. But it's a nice image!
Re. "People walking through large portals"
I would bet that photo is taken from Taipei's 北門 (North Gate), looking south, at 延平南路 (YanPing south road) forking off on the right, and 博愛路 (BoAi road) on the left. The main Taipei post office is just out of sight on the left. Just a 5 minute walk west of the train station.
here's a photo of the gate, looking north:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21506490@N00/2143014200/in/set-72157602583636536/
Scott, in Tainan
Scott, so is the photo looking back down towards XiMen? I think I know where that building is now. Then again, there's no way to be sure that's where the picture was taken, is there?
Hi Robert,
I'm pretty sure. There were only two or three of the old gates left by that time. The photo is taken looking towards the part of Taipei that is known as the camera district. Most of the best camera shops are either on BoAi Rd. (on the left), or on HanKou St./漢口街, which intersects BoAi about two blocks further south. The view from the old gate still looks pretty much the same, except that there is a traffic circle encircling gate. Yes, it is sort of looking in the general direction of where the XiMen MRT station is now.
I'm glad you posted the link to the Life photos. It's kind of fun to look through the old photos and guess where they were taken. I looked through all of the Taiwan/Formosa/Taipeh/Taipei related Life photos, and recognize quite a few places in central Taipei.
Of course, the street photos of daily life are great, but I thought some of the most interesting ones were the ones taken from roofs of buildings that give a wide view of the city.
One is taken from the top of the National Museum in 228 park, looking towards the old hospital.
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=960feca7d08e64ab&q=formosa+source:life&usg=__y3hWwJ_bknU0-TYD9hFZdpy_UUU=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dformosa%2Bsource:life%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
I'm guessing that this one was taken from a top of a building on 重慶南路/ChongQing South Rd. about three blocks north of the President's Office building, looking west, and down on 衡陽路/ HengYang Rd. You can see Zhong Shan Hall/中山堂 on the horizon. On some of the streets in that area, there are a few of the 1930s-era buildings that remain more-or-less unchanged.
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=23a34de6b56c583d&q=formosa+source:life&usg=__1yDuvkb3677oTwVLnJGbm2uwNMA=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dformosa%2Bsource:life%26start%3D160%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
--scott
Thanks for all of that Scott. I think I now know where that north gate is. I'm pretty sure when I take the 299 into Taipei from XinZhuang, the overpass passes right behind it. The building's in pretty bad shape though.
I also recognize the 228 park picture. It's funny to see it with no giant buildings or neon signs rising up from beyond the perimeter.
These pictures are really fascinating. I've spent several hours already looking through them.
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