Genthe's Photographs of San Francisco's Old Chinatown Book

Interesting look not only at old Chinatown but of views of Chinatown. The pictures and Genthe's removal or cropping of different people and objects in his photos are telling of his relationship with Chinatown and his intended viewers. Non-Chinese elements are often etched out and he wrote in his own Chinese characters on a few English signs. The passages between photos providing context are brief but useful in knowing a little of what was happening in the US and China and the major persons who held different ideas about the Chinese in America. I think they balance each other well and allow the reader not only to see Chinatown in the way Genthe intended, but to look beyond his lens and see what his photos hide.