Old Photos (Issue 39)

Author: Feng Keli, Executive Editor-in-Chief; Zhang Jie, Executive Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: American writer Emerson once humorously talked about the wonder of changing perspectives. He said, even if you try to look outside from between your legs with your head down, you will find a wonderful scene. Thinking of this, what "Old Photos" offers readers, besides the past lives and scenes, should also be various perspectives. A single photo, a piece of past, though it narrates only the experience of one person or a family, seems insignificant, yet it inadvertently reflects the history of a nation, and even a country. Without "the people," how can there be "the nation"? Without "the family," how can there be "the country"? At the end of the day, nations and countries are merely collections of countless individuals and families. Since its inception, "Old Photos" has devoted more attention and space to personal destinies and private narratives, for the very reason mentioned above. Photos can retain more of the truth of history, thanks to their irreplaceable and unalterable independent voice. Regrettably, when narrating history, the independent voice of photos is often not given the respect it deserves. Even in books that heavily use photos, they are merely supplementary evidence for some historical conclusions or illustrations of certain historical concepts. The invention of photography has provided people with a vivid and stable reference for understanding history. Compared to written records, photos are often more direct and certain. With the click of a camera's shutter, a scene of history is thus frozen in time. "Old Photos" attempts to change this, placing photos at the center of observation and letting the photos speak for themselves. Sometimes, the messages and meanings contained in photos go far beyond what a few simple historical conclusions can encompass. Only by acknowledging and listening to the voice of photos can history become truly vivid and lively.