These glass slides were taken by the Russian-born photographer Serge Vargassoff (1906-1965) who established himself as a professional photographer, at the age of 20, in Peking (Beijing), China and became a long-term resident of the city. Later he established a studio 'Serge Vargassoff Photography' at 3A Wyndham Street Hong Kong, as well as working at "Gainsborough Studio, Morning Post Building, Hong Kong". Vargassoff was well known to Hedda Hammer Morrision. Hedda Morrison writes fondly of Vargassoff in her book, A Photographer in Old Peking (1985), "
[Serge Vargassoff] was an excellent, though not very businesslike, photographer. We enjoyed a firm friendship and it was he who brought me the news of the Japanese surrender - and a bottle of vodka with which to celebrate the event."
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| Pavilion |
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| Wulong Ting (Five-Dragon-Pavilion) in Beihai Park |
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| The wall of Tuan Cheng (Circular City) in Beihai Park |
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| The Stone Pailou (Gateway) in Zhongshan Park |
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| A glazed gateway with a pavilion in Beihai Park |
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| Wu Men (the Meridian Gate) in the Forbidden City |
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| Dafeng Zushi Temple |
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| Umbrella repair man |
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| A noodle stall on the footpath |
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| The marble statue of a standing camel on the Sacred Way of Ming Tombs |
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| Part of the Great Wall |
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| A woman wearing a headdress |
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| Horse drawn carriage |
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| A man in his shoe repair stall |
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| Painted clay sculptures of Ming dynasty in Dahui Si (Temple of the Great Wisdom) |
