照相技术最早于19世纪30年代末在法国诞生,随后不久便来到了中国。目前尚存的可以确证年代的中国最早一批照片,拍摄于19世纪40年代,拍摄地主要在东南沿海一带。而到了1860年前后,外国势力逐渐深入中国内地,汉口也正是在这一时期开埠通商并划定首个租界,这使得地处长江中游的武汉也开始出现在摄影师的镜头里。整个晚清的武汉城市影像中,外国人拍摄的照片是最为重要的组成部分。这些照片大多质量上乘、视角独特、信息量丰富,是研究晚清武 Photographic technology was first born in France in the late 1930s and came to China shortly thereafter. The earliest surviving pictures of the earliest years in China, taken in the 1840s, are mainly taken along the southeast coast. By 1860, foreign forces gradually penetrated into mainland China. It was at this time that Hankow opened its port to trade and delineated the first concession. This made it possible for Wuhan, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, to begin to appear in the lens of the photographer. Throughout the city of Wuhan in the late Qing Dynasty, photographs taken by foreigners are the most important part. Most of these photos of high quality, unique perspective, informative, is to study the late Qing Wu