Scenes of Cho Lon people getting vaccinated in 1890, the villa of scientist Truong Vinh Ky... are in the photo collection of French doctor JC Baurac.
Southerners getting vaccinated in Cho Lon, 1890s. The photo is from the work "Cochinchina and its inhabitants: The Eastern Provinces", by JC Baurac - a French colonial doctor who came to Vietnam in the 19th century. Vaccination was part of Baurac's work in southern Vietnam. In the book, he wrote that due to the tense situation of smallpox in the south in the 1890s, authorities had to continuously organize mobile vaccination stations in many places to prevent and limit the spread.
The book was recently introduced in the country, part of a two-volume series "Southern Vietnam and its residents", the first volume about the Western provinces and the second about the Eastern provinces, both by Dr. JC Baurac. The photos in the book were taken by Baurac himself or collected from photographers. The work is a valuable document about the South in the 19th century through the eyes of the French, translated by Huynh Ngoc Linh.
A vaccination session in the South in the 1890s. Dr. Baurac's epidemiological survey at the end of the 19th century not only contributed to research on improving sanitation and overcoming epidemics through vaccination, but also helped him to contact and collect a lot of information to create a set of geographical books for the French at that time.
A "chaloupe" (transliterated from the French "chaloupe"), or motorboat, was used as a vaccination site in the South. Baurac said that in Go Cong district, the number of people coming to get vaccinated each session was about 5,000 (population 68,000). He wrote in the book: "Today, the natives have great faith in vaccines, they have taken better care of their children's health, as well as their own."
Ganh Rai Quarantine Camp - where the colonial government quarantined infected passengers on ships entering the Cochinchina river region.
A scene of Southern life recorded by JC Baurac.
Portrait of Governor Tran Ba Loc (1839 - 1899), a powerful collaborator of the French colonialists, who suppressed many uprisings of Southern farmers in the late 19th century. Tran Ba Loc is also mentioned for the canal system he commanded, which brought benefits to the Dong Thap Muoi region.
The book also introduces rare documents about landscape photography, such as the peaceful garden space of Lyonnais cafe, Saigon in 1864. The photos are printed on white paper.
The family of scholar Truong Vinh Ky (1837 - 1898) in Cho Lon, photographed by photographer Émile Gsell (1838 - 1879) around 1870.
The house by the riverbank at low tide. Thanks to his long years of living and working, having to go into the field closely to each locality, Dr. Baurac understands the country through his work journey along the river system, thereby accessing data on population, geography, geographical and natural features, history...
A village in Gò Vấp in the late 19th century. Ange Eugène Nicolaï - deputy governor of Cochinchina from 1897 to 1898 once commented on the book: "I have read and re-read his book. The smallest details have been captured and presented with the liveliness and conviction of someone who witnessed, participated in (...) as well as the achievements and progress, and then found a point of attraction for readers for his work. This work is really necessary for Cochinchina...".
Saigon River bank in the 19th century, on the left corner is Thu Ngu flagpole. This structure was built in 1865, when it was first formed, it functioned as a signal pole for ships entering and leaving the Saigon - Gia Dinh waterway. Along with Nha Rong Wharf, Bach Dang Wharf and Mong Bridge, the flagpole is an important element creating a unique historical and cultural complex, a witness to the urban development process of Ho Chi Minh City. Early last year, the flagpole was restored, surrounded by trees and stone benches for tourists , with a budget of 10 billion VND from socialization.
Mai Nhat - Vnexpress
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