Mr Mercer

John Thomson, from Edinburgh, was one of the first Western photographers to travel to the region, documenting the people, landscapes and artifacts of eastern cultures in the 1860s.
爱丁堡人约翰•汤姆森是首位来到香港的西方摄影师，他用镜头记录了19世纪60年代香港人的生活，香港的美景以及蕴含东方文化的手工艺品。

An album of his incredible pictures, which he took around 150 years ago, sold at auction today for nearly £50,000.
后来这些由约翰摄于150年前的“香港印象”被放进一本影集里，然后以5万英镑的价格拍卖了。

Among the 38 prints are images of the Happy Valley race course, Victoria Peak, street and garden views, Chinese shop fronts, villagers and the famous dragon procession as well as portraits of Mr Mercer's pony, named Tommy.
这本相册集收录了38张照片，有欢乐谷赛马场、维多利亚港、街道和花园、商铺柜台、村民、舞龙队伍和几张墨瑟先生的一匹名叫汤米的小马的照片。墨瑟先生曾任香港殖民大臣。

The album, which has been passed through Mr. Mercer's family, went under the hammer at Christie's in London, where it was snapped up by an anonymous bidder for £47,500.
这本影集原本由默瑟先生一家保管，后来在伦敦佳士得以47，500英镑的价格被一位匿名买家买走。

 

Hong Kong

An album of photographs of Hong Kong taken in the 1860s, which show the country's famous waterfront before dozens of high-rises were built, has sold for nearly £50,000.
一本摄于19世纪60年代的香港影集以5万英镑的价格拍卖成交，这本影集记录了这座中国著名港口城市高楼林立前的古老风采。

Happy Valley race course

A picture of the Happy Valley race course was part of the 38-image set, taken by Scottish photographer John Thomson, which sold at Christie's in London today.
今天在佳士得拍卖的38张照片全部出于苏格兰摄影师约翰•汤姆森之手，其中一张是欢乐谷赛马场。

 

Hong Kong's street

Mr Thomson gave the album to William Thomas Mercer, who had retired as Hong Kong's Colonial Secretary, and the photographs have been passed down through his family since.
汤姆森先生把这本影集赠给了当时已经退休的原驻香港殖民大臣威廉姆•汤姆斯•默瑟先生，此后这本影集便被墨瑟先生的家人代代相传。

 

Hong Kong's villages

The incredible photo album sold for £47,500 today after spending nearly 150 years in the Mercer family.
在由墨瑟先生家人保管了近150年后，今天这本影集以47，500英镑的价格拍卖成交。

Chinese shop's front

The pictures give a rare insight into what life in Hong Kong was like before it became a global financial hub.
这组珍贵照片生动地揭示了成为国际金融中心前的“香港印象”。

The scrapbook

The album was sold alongside a scrapbook (pictured), which shows Mr Mercer (right, standing next to his wife), who was Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1868.
拍卖时影集的旁边还配有一本剪贴薄也是由照片组成，这本剪贴薄记录了墨瑟先生（最右边，旁边是他的妻子）在1854年至1868年间出任香港殖民大臣时的生活。

 

Mr Mercer

Mr Mercer travelled to Hong Kong in the 1840s before working his way up to the position of Administrator of the colony.
早在19世纪40年代墨瑟先生就到访过香港，那是他还没有出任香港管理者。