This is a picture taken in the Chinatown of San Francisco by Arnold Genthe (1869-1942) between 1869 and 1906. The people in the picture were likely from a family of high class as shown by their clothes. In those days Chinese so well dressed were not common in the States at all.
Almost every time when I look at an old photo like this, I wonder, "What if the photos I took are passed around for the same length of time?" This somehow rekindle my interest in taking photos when the busyness of the day has dampened me. I can be as well recording the history which gives another dimension to what I am photographing and how I approach it.
Some history about the photographer: Originally trained as a classical scholar, Genthe taught himself photography soon after emigrating from Germany in 1895. The success of his photographs of San Francisco's Chinatown led him to establish a local portrait studio. He became famous for his impressionistic portrayals of society women, artists, dancers, and theater personalities. Moving to New York in 1911, Genthe experimented with the new Autochrome color process and executed one of the first documentary commissions in color.
(The information and photo from the Library of US Congress, according to which the photo has no known restrictions for use but rights assessment is the user's responsibility)
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