Street Groups, Kiu-Kiang, c.1867-72 (b/w photo)

Kiu-Kiang, now transliterated as Jiujang, is a city on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. John Thomson described the scene: "Extreme left is a maker of soup like his father before him. He carries his small kitchen around with him meeting his regular customers at stated hours in certain parts of the town. Centre, a public scribe, writing a letter at the dictation of a lady. His table and chair and apparatus are portable, the figure behind him is a beggar. Next is an itinerant barber. The customer is seated on a cabinet containing four drawers. The upper one holds his earnings, the second contains his tiny instruments, the third perhaps a dozen razors, whilst the lowest drawer contains his towels, combs and brushes. The two remaining figures on the right represent a wood turner and his cutomer who is examining a wooden ladle.