Editor's note: Every week for the remainder of 2008 GoKunming will publish photos from the collection of Auguste François (1857-1935), who served as French consul in south China between 1896 and 1904, during which he spent several years in Kunming. The photos have been provided by Kunming resident and private collector Yin Xiaojun (殷晓俊). GoKunming thanks Yin Xiaojun for providing us a glimpse of Kunming at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Year: November, 1900
Subject: A young girl in Kunming
Location: Unknown

Background:

During his stay in Kunming as French consul at the beginning of the last century, Auguste François was assigned a bodyguard team by the local Qing government. The head of his bodyguard team was a Kunming man with three young daughters.

According to François' memoirs, he was especially fond of the youngest daughter, who is photographed here at the age of three, making her one of the first children to be photographed in Kunming.

Due to her shyness and diminutive stature, François asked a bodyguard from his entourage to hold the girl up on a table. Not unlike many children today, the girl seems to not be enjoying getting her photo taken.

Tags: Auguste François, Qing Dynasty, Yin Xiaojun