Poignant 'selfies' from a stranger

An old photo of West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, taken in the 1920s by the famous studio Er Wo Xuan. This image was a popular souvenir that sold for 5 yuan during that period. [Photo by Tong Bingxue/For China Daily]

Buying photos online

According to Tong, the advent of the internet had brought about "an earthshaking change" in the way he expanded his collection as the digital realm allowed him to procure many old photos that he would have otherwise never come across. He also uses the internet as a means of gathering more information about his photos.

"I always post single photos without any information online and sometimes people will contact me to say that they know the person in the photo. The most interesting part of this collection, to me, is about sharing. Through communicating with others, I can have a deeper understanding of these photos," said Tong.

The price of old Chinese photos has been on the rise in international auctions. The bidding price of a photo taken during the late Qing Dynasty started at $280 in an online auction that Tong had participated in and eventually closed at $800. Tong said that the popularity and demand of Chinese art is quickly rising today and a photo from China that was taken in the same era and of the same quality as one from other countries could be worth as much as 10 times more. In a Guardian auction in 2003, an old photo of The Bund in Shanghai was purchased at 140,000 yuan ($20,280).

While some people may see moneymaking potential in Tong's passion, he is insistent that his photo collection is not about profits. He is currently in discussions with several institutions and governmental departments to set up a museum to showcase China's history in photography. The facility will also include his photo collection as well as research findings of the nation's photo studios during the past 16 years.

"The process of collecting is a long-term affair. It is only after you have gathered a certain volume that you begin to understand the objects, and by understanding them you achieve so much more than just money," said Tong.