Korea: Caught In Time (Caught in Time Great Photographic Archives)

161 Pages·2009·23.08 MB·English

by  Terry Bennett

Korea CIT PB Jkt 14/1/09 6:04 PM Page 1
Caught in Time
Once known as the ‘Hermit Kingdom’,Korea photographs include royal portraits taken in the
was first prised open by Japan in 1876; 1890s. Queen Min, the last queen of Korea, was
it opened to the West in 1883, and even today it assassinated by the Japanese in 1895 and the
remains a little-known country. Yet its distinct striking image presented here is the only known
culture and history could not be more colourful photograph of her.
C Caught in Time
a
or fascinating. Famous as one of the Asian With a wide range of pictures by the photo- u
g
h
Dragon economies, Korea has risen to become graphic pioneers who first travelled to the country, t
i
n
the eleventh largest economy in the world. including stereoscopes, glass slides and albumen T
i
m
This book provides the first-ever com- prints – all reproduced in duotone – plus hand-
e T B
ERRY ENNETT
prehensive history of photography in Korea and tinted photographs reproduced in colour, readers
identifies many previously unattributed images. will for the first time be able to see the people,
Introduction by
Photographs from key private collections and the landscape, the town-life and the crafts and MARTIN UDEN
museum archives in Europe, America and Russia costumes of traditional Korea.
are collected in this volume, forming a unique
anthology and giving insight into the cultural Terry Bennett is a specialist in early photo-
heritage of Korea. graphy of the Far East, with an expert T
e
r
It includes the first photographs ever taken knowledge of the photographic pioneers who first ry

B
on Korean soil, by the famous war photographer explored the world in the late nineteenth century. e
n
n
Felice Beato. He accompanied the American He is the author of Early Japanese Images, co-
e
t
t
squadron of five ships which landed in 1871 to author of Japan:Caught in Time and has lectured
attempt to open Korea to trade. His photographs and published many articles on related topics.
show the fighting which ensued and the Korean Martin Uden is currently serving as British
people the Americans encountered. Other early Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
“An impressive selection ofimages “This book is the best one I’ve Front cover:Unidentified member ofthe
Korean embassy staffin Japan,.
ofthis seldom-photographed seen on early photography in Photographer unknown. Approx.
140 x 185mm, hand-coloured print.
country…his survey provides a Korea…an excellent starting PHOTOGRAPHY,HISTORY
ISBN 978-1-85964-221-4
solid introduction to the subject of place for researchers.”
early Korean photography.”
STEREOWORLD
9 781859642214
ASAHI EVENING NEWS
www.garnetpublishing.co.uk
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page i
Caught in Time
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page ii
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page iii
Caught in Time
Terry Bennett
with an introduction by
Martin Uden
(cid:1)
a r n e t
P U B L I S H I N G
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page iv
Korea: Caught in Time
Production of this book has been made possible by the kind
sponsorship of PIFC Benefit Consultants Plc.
Published by
Garnet Publishing Limited,
8 Southern Court, South Street,
Reading rg1 4qs, UK
Copyright © 1997, 2009Terry Bennett
Introduction copyright © 1997, 2009Martin Uden
The rights of Terry Bennett and Martin Uden to be identified as the
authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Second edition 2009
ISBN 978-1-85964-221-4
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Copy-editing: Lydia Darbyshire
House editor: Anna Watson
Production: Nick Holroyd
Design: David Rose
Printed in the Lebanon
Previous page
1. City gate, Seoul, c. 1900.
Photographer unknown. 95 x 135mm, silverprint.
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page v
Contents
Map of Korea vi
Preface vii
Acknowledgements viii
Introduction by Martin Uden ix
1
Photography in Korea
21
Index of Photographers
25
Photographic Terms
The Photographs
26
Contact and Conflict
56
Aristocracy and Government
88
Daily Life
108
Farming and Industry
130
City Life
142
Bibliography
144
Index
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M K
AP OF OREA
Vladivostok
RUSSIA
C H I N A
East
Wonsan
P’yo˘ngyang Sea
K
O
Present-day border
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Kanghwa SeoulE
Inch’o˘n
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Yellow
Sea
Pusan
ait JAPAN
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Ko˘mundo
0 100 200 kilometres
Nagasaki
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page vii
Preface
THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT EARLY Korean and collectors are few. Until the early 1980s, how-
photographs and the photographers who took ever,the same could be said of Japan,and I have no
them. As far as I know, this is the first work in doubt that interest in Korean photography will
English to have appeared on this subject. A few increase substantially over the coming years.This,in
photographic books have been published in Korea turn,will see more information surface on both the
to illustrate modern Korean history by means of photographs and the photographers.
photography, but apart from passing references in The absence here of works by Korean photo-
various books and articles nothing seems to have graphers has not been for lack of effort in trying to
appeared that deals with the history of Korean locate them.I still find it incredible that no images
photography itself.This book should not,however, by Korean photographers of the nineteenth and
be taken as the last word on this topic;it is a prelim- early twentieth centuries have yet, as far as I have
inary sketch only, and much work remains to be been able to discover,been formally attributed,but
done.I hope that this book will act as a stimulus to this situation will surely not last for much longer.
researchers and photo-historians,particularly those Korea is a fascinating country with a colourful
inside Korea. history and an enduring and sophisticated culture.
I have drawn on material in institutional hold- I hope that these photographs will help to shed
ings and private collections in South Korea, the some light on the people and land of this neglected
United States,Japan,Russia,France and Britain – as and relatively unknown part of the Far East.
well as on my own collection.I was disappointed to
discover that the number of original nineteenth- TERRYBENNETT
century photographs inside South Korea, in both
institutional and private hands,is extremely small.It
is just possible that more exists in North Korea,but
this seems unlikely.
The study of early Korean photography is not
at all developed inside South Korea – there are no
photo-museums, institutional holdings are meagre
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page viii
viii Korea
Acknowledgements Picture Credits
Many people have helped to make this book Most of the photographs illustrated come from
possible.In particular I should like to thank the author’s own collection.Other sources are:
Sebastian Dobson for the tremendous assistance Hillier Collection,England.
96 137.
given with the research,Dr James Hoare, Figures and
Miss Jo Roberts MBE,Fred Sharf,Rob Oeschle, Kawasaki City Museum,Japan.
30,31,33,34,35,36,76,77,92,93,99,
Dr Horace G.Underwood, Figures
109,121.
Professor Kim Jang-Choon,Park Ju-Seok,
Dr Chang-Sou Houchins,Chung Sung-Kil, Peabody Essex Museum,Salem,United States.
40,88,116,119,136 139.
Martin Uden and Kim Eun-Hyoung. Figures and
Royal Geographical Society,England.
10,29 79.
Figures and
Russian Geographical Society,St Petersburg.
54 68.
Figures –
Map of Korea on page vi drawn by
Geoprojects (UK) Ltd.
KOREA CIT Prelims 6/1/09 9:48 AM Page ix Introduction <#>
Introduction
AT THE END OF THE nineteenth century and whom custom afforded respect and freedom
the country of Chosun,known in the West from molestation.Eventually,however,these early
as Corea or Korea, from the name of one of the successes turned to tragedy when the Korean gov-
earlier kingdoms on the peninsula, was ruled by ernment moved against the priests and converts,
1392
the Yi Dynasty,which had reigned since .The and the early church ended its days in martyrdom.
country’s experience of foreigners had been almost Inside Korea,the same respect for China that
uniformly bad,consisting for the most part of in- was the basis of its foreign relations underpinned
vasions by Japan or China,and it therefore followed government and society.Confucianism,the domi-
a policy of acknowledging China’s suzerainty and nant philosophy, taught respect for superiors, be
eschewing all other contact with the outside world. they king, father, elder brother or husband, and
Travellers who came to Korean shores were either this led to a deep conservatism, which pervaded
driven off or,if that proved impossible – as in the all classes. There were periods of enlightened
case of shipwrecks – were incarcerated and forbid- thought and significant scientific, technological
den to leave.In fact,much of the Western knowledge and cultural advance, resulting in such achieve-
of Korea came from one such Dutch shipwreck ments as a scientifically researched alphabet,
victim in the mid-seventeenth century who man- movable type and iron-clad warships, but these
aged to escape and tell of his experiences. occurred in the early centuries of the dynasty.As
Just as Koreans showed little interest in the time wore on,the country’s energies were dissipat-
outside world, so foreigners made little effort to ed in court intrigue and official corruption, both
penetrate the country.The main exception was that of which occasionally flared up into revolt, while
traditionally determined band, the missionaries. the combination of a ban on the aristocracy in-
The first serious attempt to bring Christianity to dulging in commerce and of the exactions of
Korea was made in the late eighteenth century, corrupt tax collectors stifled economic develop-
when French missionaries operating out of China ment and innovation.
penetrated Korea.They made remarkable progress, The divisions between the social classes were
going under the guise of mourners, whose ex- immutable, with social position being fixed by
tremely wide hats conveniently covered their faces birth. An able peasant might conceivably escape