This collection of photographs—now owned by a relative of the artists—was created by a creative couple living and working in China. Clarence and Florence Farnham Dittmer of Antigo, Wisconsin produced the hand-colored (and captioned) photographs in this collection, and Florence wrote the letters, which accompany them. The two were married on July 12, 1918. The following year, they traveled to China after Clarence Dittmer, a sociology professor, was invited to teach at Tsing Hua College in Peking (Beijing).

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While in China, Clarence used his camera to record impressions of the country, and then he and Florence carefully embellished them with color. Almost 100 years later, these hand-colored photographs have become precious relics of a time and place which no longer exists outside of unique collections like this one.

 

Annemarie Sawkins, Guest Curator