Poignant 'selfies' from a stranger

Through the ages

The exhibition "Insight to Self, Ye Jinglyu's Portraits" is running from now to March 28 at the Shanghai Library. The exhibition showcases 62 photos of Ye, who was born in Fuzhou of Fujian province, which were taken between 1907 and 1968.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to get a glimpse of Ye's life that span the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Republic of China (1912-1949) and People's Republic of China. In a photo that was taken during his trip to Europe which started in 1896, Ye is seen dressed in Western attire. From 1913 to 1940, Ye seemed to be doing well in life based on the trendy clothes he was dressed in.

In 1949, the year the People's Republic of China was founded, Ye's portrait depicted him reading a newspaper. In 1950, he wore a short sleeved shirt to welcome life in a new era in China. In the summer of 1968, Ye took his last photo.