[KS] from Namdaemun or from Tongdaemun?
David Mason
mntnwolf at yahoo.com
Tue Oct 7 08:07:51 EDT 2014
There can be no doubt that the larger mountain on the right is Inwang-san, and the pyramidal peak in center with a long ridge running left from it is An-san. Those are the full west faces of both mountains, Ansan is west of Inwang-san, and the sharp summit of Ansan is only a but south of Inwang-san's summit. Therefore, we are looking at them from about the same angle, and from their southeast, or maybe ESE. Therefore we can say with confidence that this street is more Dongdae-mun area than Namdae-mun.
Sincere Regards,
David
David A. Mason
Professor of Korean Public Service at Chung-Ang University
Honorary Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Mountain-Range
tour-guide, lecturer and author on traditional cultural sites
Main Website: http://www.san-shin.org
also http://zozayong.com and http://baekdu-daegan.com
Mobile Phone: 010-9734-9753
________________________________
From: Frank Hoffmann <hoffmann at koreanstudies.com>
To: koreanstudies at koreanstudies.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 6:02 PM
Subject: [KS] from Namdaemun or from Tongdaemun?
Picture puzzle:
In order to identify the perspective shown in a 1904 graphic (done in
paris after a photo) I am trying to figure out from where these early
two photos were taken.
-> http://koreanstudies.com/articles1/place.jpg
(will later be removed again)
According to Samuel Hawley who posted it, the photo on the LEFT is by
George Foulk. So I suppose it must have been taken between 1885 and
1887. Hawley states in the caption: "central avenue in Seoul leading
west from *Tongdaemun*, the Great East Gate."
(http://www.samuelhawley.com/hermitkingdom1.html)
The photo on the RIGHT must, I think, also be from the late 1880s, but
certainly from before 1897, as there are no streetcars and no electric
powerlines to be seen yet. You find this photo reproduced in various
Korean and Japanese Internet blogs (there mostly with the date "1880s"
given). In all those posts the location the photo was shot from is
given as *Namdaemun*.
The mountains in the background tell us that we are looking into the
same direction -- well, almost.
The distance from the viewer to those mountains, though, appears not to
be the same. However, if I cut the photo on the left (by Foulk), so the
photos show us more or less the same area, then that first impression
proofs to be wrong:
--> http://koreanstudies.com/articles1/place2.jpg
My simple question is:
Does anyone know for sure if these two photos were taken from Namdaemun
Gate OR from Tongdaemun Gate, and towards what direction? There are
plenty of notes on various Internet blogs, but as it goes people just
copy information, also wrong information. Maybe you would know by
identifying those mountains?
This, by the way, is a view from Namdaemun towards Myŏngdong Cathedral
in construction (the big building in the background, middle of the
picture, with its tower not yet raised).
--> http://koreanstudies.com/articles1/place3.jpg
Best,
Frank
--------------------------------------
Frank Hoffmann
http://koreanstudies.com
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