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Story by Anake Nawigamune
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Considering the critical acclaim Francis Chit (A.D.1830 - 1891)
enjoys as one of Thailand's first great photographers, surprisingly very little has been officially recorded about his life. What historians and those who study photography have so far uncovered are mostly bits and pieces of his living as the King's Photographer as revealed through his work, one such truly memorable piece a photograph of the solar eclipse of 1898. Besides that, the most detailed historical record of who he was is contained within a mere half page obituary that, quite characteristically, mentions more about the causes of his death at age 61, than his accomplishments in life. |
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In this edition of Sarakadee, we attempt to piece together further the details of his upbringing and the development of his talent, using evidence gathered largely from newspaper clippings, royal publications and even advertisements for F. Chit and Son that Chit himself placed in the newspapers to promote his skills. But still, the most incredible piece of evidence we are left with is his talent. Living and working roughly during the time spanning the reign of Rama the Fourth to Rama the Fifth, Chit captured images of everything from important figures to unknown persons to distinct happenings to impressive locations in the Kingdom. Large and small, the quality of his photographs is still as noteworthy as the photographs are still, even by today's standards, incredibly sharp. |
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