The first photo shown here, Ladies of a Big Family, was taken by Yang Baocai (1900–1990). Yang, originally from Penghu, came to Taipei on his own at age 16 and studied photography at a Japanese-run shashinkan. In 1921, he opened his own studio. In this photo, one can clearly see the fashions of Taipei women of the time. They’d pull their long hair back and wear modified versions of traditional Chinese clothing and low-heeled or embroidered shoes, accessorized with earrings and necklaces—a look that gave an attractive air of self-confidence. Also, in Girl on a Sofa, the girl pictured wears a Western-style dress and sandals with heels, and wears a charming expression on her face. Also worth pointing out is Cross-Dressing Wedding Photo—for two female friends to go hand in hand to a photo studio to have their picture taken, and to dress up as bride and groom to do it, was a sign of change in those times when relations between the sexes were not so free.
On the eve of International Women’s Day, we have selected some photos from over 60 years ago from In Sight—Tracing the Photography Studio Images of the Japanese Period in Taiwan, a book edited by Chien Yung-ping. In their expressions and clothing, we can uncover the dignity of these women who were ahead of their time. These photos speak to us from the past, telling us the secrets of their era.
Starlet Zhang Meiyao, Lin Shouyi, 1952.
Cross-Dressing Wedding Photo, Wu Jinmiao, 1940s.
Aboriginal Family, photographer unknown, 1920s.
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