Ye Jinglv at age 21. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] |
Taking a photo of yourself each day or each year to record your personal changes is not a new thing, at least not in China.
As early as the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a 27-year-old businessman, Ye Jinglv, decided to take a self-portrait every year. The last photo was taken in 1968 before he died at age 88 later that year.
The 63 self-portraits are now on show in Shanghai, documenting the changes in a man over a long period.
Born in Fuzhou in 1881, Ye went to work in London at 15. And during his five year's in Britain, he studied photography and developed a strong interest in it.
His photos were found by collector Tong Bingxue.