Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

Original photograph, albumen print, 18,5 x 24,5 cm, mounted on cardboard, legend on lower margin, signed in the photo.

Front view of the Temple of Heaven, part of an imperial complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest. Thomas Child (1841-1898) spent almost two decades as a keen amateur photographer in Beijing while being employed as a gas engineer for the Imperial Maritime Customs Service from 1870-1889. During those years there were virtually no other photographers active in the ancient city. He documented local life, traditional architecture and monuments. Child created a series of approx. 200 photographs being the earliest comprehensive photographic depiction of the late Qing dynasty in Beijing and shaped China's image in foreign eyes, some of his images even being the only surviving photographic records of important Chinese architecture.