“作为事件、经历和神话的摄影史”—这不是智慧之神灵光一现而在下笔之时随手想出的话题,它来自美国汉学家柯文(Paul A.Cohen)的著作《历史三调—作为事件、经历和神话的义和团》中,作者对有关义和团事件表述深思熟虑的研究,更重要的是其解读视角与方法,对我看待中国摄影史所产生的持续影响。10年前读这本书,作者描述的亲历者之一—受出版商派遣,前往中国拍摄有关义和团运动照片的摄影师詹姆斯·里卡尔顿的叙述最初吸引了我。我关心的是,与华北地区数以 “The History of Photography as Events, Experiences, and Myths” - This is not what the Wisdom of God came up with when it was time to write down. It came from the book “History of the American Sinologist Paul A. Cohen The Triad - The Boxers as Events, Experiences, and Myths ”, the author’s study of the Boxer Incident, and, more importantly, his or her perspective and methodology of interpretation, shows me the continuing influence of Chinese photographic history. Reading this book 10 years ago, one of the witnesses described by the author, James Ricardon, a photographer dispatched to China to take photographs of Boxer movements, first attracted me. My concern is with a few in North China