Thread: Memory Lane (In my own language)

John Thomson (14 June 1837 – 29 September 1921) was a pioneering Scottish photographer, geographer, and traveler.

He was one of the first photographers to travel to the Far East, documenting the people, landscapes and artifacts of eastern cultures.

In 1865 Thomson sold his Singapore studio and moved to work in Bangkok, Siam. He started his work as a photographer by undertaking a series of photographs of King Rama IV and other senior members of the royal court and government including here and there in Bangkok.

In 1875, he published a book ‘The Strait of Malacca, Indo-China and China'. For a long section inside the book, he told about his adventure in Siam. Below shows a part of his work:










The photos show one of the most elegant Royal Barges named Anantanakkarat. It is a traditional styled boat with the bow carved in the form of 7 headed naga.

The first version of the boat was built in the reign of King Rama III (estimated 1840-1851, the one seen in these b&W photos).

The recent version was built in the reign of King Rama VI and having been renovated through time, it stays proudly until today.

Note: Since the boat is very long, around 43 meters, Thomson could not capture it in one frame. Later on those 2 photos were modified into one panorama as seen in photo #4.

If you notice, the boat was staying still so, that was a posture made for photo shooting.