Xiung Chang

Xiung Chang made early photographs in the mid-1800s. Their 1851 photograph Guafu shows a person in formal dress against a plain backdrop, lit by natural light. The image feels quiet and still, like a snapshot from the very first days of photography when portraits were made with long exposures and careful posing.

Tap Guafu to see the full print and notice how the edges keep some of the original paper’s texture.