The exhibition Collotype • Recurrence – Spatial Convergence of John Thomson and Wong Ho Sang organized by the Macao Museum under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, which has been open to the public for nearly three months, will close on 31 August (Sunday). The Macao Museum welcomes all visitors to this important show which has been attracting many people.
The exhibition showcases the best photographic works of 19th century British photographer John Thomson taken during a trip in China from 1868 to 1872. In order to provide visitors with a better understanding of this precious works by John Thomson, the Macao Museum displays works produced by four different methods – including high resolution images produced by “collotype”, the most advanced printing technique at the time, copper plate etchings adopted to bulk copy pictures, copies of original photographs produced by wet plate photography, and images of “glass negative produced by wet plate photography” by a contemporary photographer employing the same equipment and methods of John Thomson. The works exhibited not only allow the public to know more about the Chinese society and civilization a century and a half ago, but also provide more information about the development of photographic methods and techniques.
The second section presents works obtained via wet plate processing by contemporary Macao photographer Wong Ho Sang and the equipment he used. These works and equipment relate to the public the difficulties John Thomson encountered when he tried to overcome the limitations of the photographic techniques of the time, and attempted to leave images of high resolution to posterity incorporating printing techniques into the production of images. In addition, visitors are welcome to join the guided tours provided by the Macao Museum and learn more about the contribution of John Thomson to documentary photography.
To further promote the theme of this exhibition, the Macao Museum set up The Mystery of Wet Plate Photography escape game in the education zone of the exhibition, which has been very popular among teenagers. Over 8,000 people have played it so far.
The Macao Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00am to 6:00pm (ticket booth closes at 5:30pm) and is closed on Mondays. Macao ID cardholders and Macao student cardholders can visit the Museum for free on Sundays upon showing the respective cards. For enquiries about the exhibition and guided tours for the public, please call the Macao Museum through (853) 2835 7911 during office hours or visit www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or www.icm.gov.mo.
