This is one of two photographs taken by Hedda Morrison that were used by the Kollei company to advertise Rolleiflex cameras. The compact German twin lens Rollei was Hedda's favourite camera. The chosen images are very good examples of Hedda's photography which recorded the life of Peking during the period 1933-1946. Street vendors selling sesame cakes, broth and candied rose hips, were familiar sights day and night, in the lanes of Peking. gelatin silver photographs, Peking, 1933-46. The advertisements were produced following Hedda's visit to the Rollei factory in Germany in 1957.

Exhibited in 'In her view: the photographs of Hedda Morrison in China and Sarawak 1933-1967', Powerhouse Museum, Sydney 11 June - 10 October 1993.

Photograph, 'Rolleiflex advertisement with street vendor smoking a pipe', black and white, silver gelatin print, marked 'Rolleiflex', by Hedda Morrison, Peking, China, 1933-1946.

The image is a night scene of a street vendor standing before a cart laden with a lamp, porcelain containers and candied rose-hips. The male vendor is dressed in a Chinese jacket and trousers and is smoking a pipe. He stands in a laneway ('hutong') at the left of the frame, facing towards the right of the frame, across the cart towards a brick wall. Windows and street lights can be seen in the background. The image is marked 'Rolleiflex', and was used as an advertisement for Rolleiflex cameras.

Made: 1933 - 1946

93/179/1-2

1933 - 1946

510 mm

470 mm