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China Before the Infinite Camera Roll

sixthtone.com · 2,296 words · saved by 1 readers

Thomas Sauvin’s archive of discarded family negatives captures an era when 36 photos could document years of birthdays, travel, and everyday life.

Of the many consumer goods that entered China in the 1980s, one small item transformed how millions of families recorded their lives: 35mm color negative film. In 1984, Fujifilm established its Beijing office, as Chinese photographers were beginning to embrace the company’s color film, known for its green packaging and the distinctive greenish cast of its prints. Kodak, Fujifilm’s main rival at the time, soon followed, expanding its presence and introducing a network of express color photo stores across China in the 1990s. These developments, together with the arrival of point-and-shoot…

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