(NADS) - Khanh Ky is not only the founder of professional photography in Vietnam, but also a symbol of the spirit of continuous progress, learning and creativity. His journey – from exile to famous photo studio owner in France, and then to the one who sowed the seeds of the profession in his homeland – is a living testament to national will, patriotism and cultural integration.

Background - a patriotic intellectual with great ambitions

Nguyen Dinh Khanh, whose real name is Nguyen Van Xuan, and whose pen name is Khanh Ky, was born in 1874 in Lai Xa village, Kim Chung commune, Hoai Duc district, former Ha Tay province, now part of Hanoi city. He grew up in a family with a Confucian tradition, but soon turned to photography - a new field in Vietnam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Portrait of Nguyen Dinh Khanh - Khanh Ky

Nguyen Dinh Khanh lost his parents when he was young. In 1890, at the age of 16, his uncle sent him to study photography at the Du Chuong photography studio on Hang Bai Street, Hanoi. Being an intelligent and talented person, in 1892, he opened his first photography studio named Khanh Ky on Hang Da Street, Hanoi.

Khanh Ky's youth is an extraordinary journey from a patriotic young man exiled by the French colonialists to Algiers (a French colony in North Africa), to an excellent photographer and then becoming a famous photo studio owner in France.

Photography career – the foundation of a Vietnamese photography tradition

Khanh Ky Photo Studio.

After returning to Vietnam in the early 20th century, Khanh Ky not only stopped at practicing and developing his personal career, but also played a role in spreading and enlightening the photography profession in Vietnam. He made great contributions in laying the foundation for Lai Xa photography, turning a purely agricultural village on the outskirts of Hanoi into the cradle of Vietnamese photography. From a few people at the beginning, photography has spread throughout the village, becoming a traditional profession, bringing a prosperous life to many generations of Lai Xa people. Lai Xa photography village is not only famous domestically but also reaches out internationally, affirming the position of Vietnamese photography on the world map. It can be said that Lai Xa is the "Capital of Photography" of Vietnam, and Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khanh deserves to be honored as the "Ancestor" of the craft village, the one who opened the path of professional photography for the country. He opened Khanh Ky photo studios in many places such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh...

In front of Khanh Ky photo studio

Vietnamese couple in Western clothes (1920). Photo by Khanh Ky

Khanh Ky's photography style is a smooth combination of European techniques and Asian spirit. He not only records human portraits but also conveys the temperament and spirit of each character. His photos have tight compositions, skillful lighting, highlighting the solemnity and elegance of Vietnamese people in the period of transition between tradition and modernity.

Not only a technical person, he is also a person with a silent patriotic ideology, nurturing the national spirit by honoring the beauty of Vietnamese people, preserving national dignity in every frame.

Legacy and influence

The life and career of Mr. Khanh Ky were not limited to the field of photography. Few people know that he was also a silent patriot, an outstanding son of the nation who made important contributions to the cause of national liberation. During his time in France, Mr. Khanh Ky actively participated in patriotic activities of the Vietnamese community there. He became an important member of the "Friendly Compatriots Council" founded by Mr. Phan Chau Trinh and lawyer Phan Van Truong, an organization that gathered patriotic Vietnamese people in France, looking towards the Fatherland.

Portrait of Phan Chu Trinh. Photo: Khanh Ky

In particular, an extremely meaningful historical milestone, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khanh was the one who directly taught photography to the young man Nguyen Ai Quoc, who later became the great President Ho Chi Minh of our nation. It was the photography taught by Mr. Khanh Ky that helped Nguyen Ai Quoc have another means of earning a living, covering his vibrant revolutionary activities in France. Mr. Khanh Ky was also a generous sponsor, providing financial support to the group of Vietnamese patriots in Paris, making an important contribution to maintaining and developing the movement to fight for national independence.

Khanh Ky’s name lives on not only in the preserved photo collections, but also in the “Lai Xa photography tradition” – the craft village that he himself initiated. His descendants have made the Vietnamese photography tradition famous, becoming a source of pride in the national culture.

Funeral of Phan Chu Trinh. Photo: Khanh Ky

Today, Lai Xa Photography Museum with its archived photos and many research documents has affirmed Khanh Ky's historical position: one of the first Vietnamese to master modern photography techniques, a silent artist - patriot and teacher of many generations of Vietnamese photographers.

Conclusion – lessons from pioneers

Khanh Ky is not only the founder of professional photography in Vietnam, but also a symbol of the spirit of continuous progress, learning and creativity. His journey – from exile to famous photo studio owner in France, and then to the one who sowed the seeds of the profession in his homeland – is a living testament to national will, patriotism and cultural integration.

During his trip to France in 1946, at the invitation of the French Government, President Ho Chi Minh visited and laid a wreath at the tomb of patriotic photographer Nguyen Dinh Khanh.

Looking back at the life and career of Khanh Ky, we not only honor an individual but also rekindle the historical flow of Vietnamese photography. That is a valuable foundation for today's generations to continue to promote, create, and bring our country's photography to international level in the new era.

Source: https://nhiepanhdoisong.vn/nguyen-dinh-khanh-nguoi-dat-nen-mong-cho-nghe-thuat-nhiep-anh-viet-nam-hien-dai-15874.html