Interesting…
This one mentions it’s taken at La-ko-ti valley, which is in South East Taiwan. I wonder if he really could get to Taidong back in 1871… Couldn’t quite figure out where that is. If it’s Holo, I assume ti is 地. The characters 落溝地 would fit the phonetics, but can’t think of a place with that name.
This one has seemingly contradicting information. First it says: Taku, N. China, Taku forts.
Then the description says: Fort Provintia, near Taiwan-fu (Tainan), Formosa (Taiwan). Photograph by John Thomson, 1871.
huh? Northern China or Taiwan? If it’s Northern China, then I assume Taku is a transcription of 大沽 which is near Tianjin. I think the likelihood of that being Provintia is small, as Provintia is today’s Chihkan. If it’s Fort Zeelandia then we might get that open ocean view in 1871. Still, the conflicting information makes it almost impossible to discern the actual location.
If that photo is the same as this one:
Then it’s probably some fort near Takao (Kaohsiung today).
Other photos from Taiwan (I think I got most of them)
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ywt636nj?page=8&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/mdhtneys?page=14&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/rmknrwhq?page=15&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/q6kythsy?page=16&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ydcqyp5e?page=16&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/kgzbkb3e?page=16&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/xkfmu5f3?page=16&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/xqfz4rve?page=18&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/y546mmzm?page=18&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/bmctrrbj?page=19&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/f59gxdhn?page=20&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/r4acvyxg?page=20&query=creators%3AJ.%20Thomson
Reviving this thread. Someone else tried to figure out where exactly Thomson visited.
This image is dubbed Lalung, Formosa.
According to this blog post, that place is now called 白雲仙谷 in Jiashen, Kaohsiung.
The blog post also provided a map for the assumed path of Thomson’s travels in Taiwan. Since it was back in 1871, this trip is pretty risky. The chance of encountering a hostile Aboriginal party is pretty high.
