Kuling-Lushan
The picture on my header was one I found in a box of old photos. I originally thought it was two pictures as it had been folded many times and had separated along the fold line. The original measures 2 1/2 inches by 7 inches and initially didn’t interest me. It was only after I taped it back together and then scanned it, that I was able to zoom in for a closer look.
The first thing that caught my eye was that little black hat and I recognized the face of the lady wearing it. Then looking closer, I found my mother and her sister sitting along the edge of the canal and standing behind them, my grandmother. You may wonder how I can tell in a photo so small? Well, I’ve scanned, screened and magnified pictures of everyone so many times, that I can spot the smallest facial features and even body language. I can usually see it no matter the age. Some things just don’t change; not even from 8 to 80.
The next thing I looked for was the location. It seemed to be some sort of swimming meet as there were a couple of large format cameras on tripods viewable in the crowd. Also the photo itself was a very wide angle and obviously taken by a professional.
I turned to the University of Bristol. Robert Bickers Collection and after screening many hundreds of photos, I came across two insets that matched. The location is Kuling, near Lushan. It was a popular spot for Europeans to get away from the hussle and bussle of the cities.
The insets show the extended wall platforms and also the waterfall and the footbridge in the far background.