A girl holds a cloth with "New Year" written on it.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Thom and his partner Simon Gjeroe began collecting photographs in 2005. They opened their store, Beijing Postcards, on Yangmeizhu Xiejie in the Dashilar area of Beijing's Xicheng district, selling postcards, pillows, calendars and jigsaws printed with black-and-white photos from their collections.

Since Thom often works inside his shop, he has put up a QR Code to allow customers to pay for items themselves, underlining that he is in no rush to sell.

Nong Yuxuan, 26, a lawyer who visited the store, says the photos will help people to see Beijing from different perspectives.

"The way foreigners used to see China is how modern Chinese people saw themselves in the past - we're all looking for novelty, to some extent," he says.

He points to a photo of a woman lying on a sofa with both her feet bound in triangles: "The definition of beauty can be very diverse. People used to think foot binding was beautiful."

The ancient Chinese custom in which a girl's four toes were tucked beneath the foot to prevent growth, was gradually abandoned as it became increasingly recognized as a symbol of feudalism.