Saigon, justly called the “Pearl of the Far East” is the Capital of Cochin-China. The town is built on the river which bears its name, about 90 kilometres from Cape Saint-Jacques, where the Saigon river flows into the sea. The great liners take twenty-six days to reach Saigon. The duration of the voyage between Saigon and Shanghai and Saigon and Yokohama is ten and sixteen days respectively.
The population of Saigon is 109,000,
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Hue, the former capital of Vietnam, is located about a hundred kilometers south of the 17th parallel. When one mentions Hue, one can’t help but think of its river and its hills enveloped in dreams and poetry, of its sumptuous palaces and its tombs.
Image – The Perfume River, a source of inspiration for poets and writers of the ancient imperial capital.
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Magnificent imperial palaces over which an eternal impression of silence,
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This exceptional series comes from the archives of the Inlen gallery. It stands out for its night shots, showcasing a brightly lit Saigon, then considered the “Pearl of Asia.” In addition to iconic landmarks like the Governor’s Palace, the Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market, the photographer also captured lively spots such as the Rex and Thanh Chung cinemas, Brodard bakery, and the Dong Khanh hotel in the bustling Cholon district. This suggests that Saigon wasn’t just about official monuments,
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Viet-Nam is in the Southeastern corner of Asia, with Cambodia and Laos on the west, and the China Sea on the east and south. South Viet-Nam covers a 65,000 square-mile area with approximately 12 million inhabitants.
With its sophisticated temperate-climate resorts in the Highland country, its white beaches, its ancient Imperial City, its vast hunting reserves and its numerous other attractions, Viet-Nam is rapidly becoming a << must see >> for thousands of foreign tourists.
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VIETNAM
With its sophisticated cool resorts in highland country, its white beaches, ancient imperial city, vast hunting reserves and numerous other unusual attractions, Vietnam is rapidly becoming a « must see » for thousands of Pacific travelers. Now that jetliners are slicing flying time to the Orient approximately in half, Saigon is a new centrally-located travel target, especially for tourists seeking a different setting and atmosphere. With China on the North, the South China Sea on the East and South,
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This album of photos, recently acquired by the gallery, offers a glimpse of previously unknown pictures, never before displayed. This is especially significant because it is a personal album, likely belonging to a professional photographer from North Vietnam, providing a unique perspective from the “other side.”
Prisoners of War and iconic photo “Burst of Joy”
The album shows an rare photo of a pilot captured and his jet destroyed in September 1965. Our research is on going to identify this pilot.
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About the Inlen gallery’s archives photos
This captivating series, preserved within the gallery’s archives, offers a fascinating glimpse into the pomp and circumstance surrounding the inauguration of Ngô Đình Diệm’s second term as President of South Vietnam on April 29, 1961. The impressive military parade unfolded along what was then Reunification Boulevard (now Le Duan Boulevard). Alongside the military personnel and imposing tanks, traditional costumes paraded, with even the presence of elephants adding a unique dimension to the spectacle.
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Tết Mậu Thân in Huế was a brutal and pivotal moment in the Vietnam War. Starting January 31, 1968, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (VC) forces surprised everyone by seizing much of the city, including the Citadel. What followed was a grueling 26-day battle with US Marines and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) to retake it, marked by intense urban combat and heavy casualties on both sides.
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This never published series of photos are taken from the album “”Respectful homage of the house Huong Ky Photo to Mr. The Minister of National Education in memory of the trip of H.M BAO DAI in Tonkin”.
Gallery Inlen Photo is proud to be the first to show them publically in collaboration with the French galerie Vincent Joly dedicated to Indochina arts for the the centenary of the founding of Indochina School of Fine Arts (1924-2024) now the University of Fine Arts of Hanoi.
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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS – PERIOD 1951 – 1962
Vietnam Airlines used part of its commercial rights to develop international routes to Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Vientiane, Hong Kong and Singapore, which Air France has reestablished from 1946 to 1949.
In 1952, by DC-3, there was a daily flight to Saigon-Phnom Penh, a weekly flight to Saigon-Bangkok, then a seat added to Siem Reap around 1956, two flights to Saigon-Seno-Vientiane; By DC-4, there were two weekly flights to Saigon-Hanoi-Hong Kong and Saigon-Haiphong-Hong Kong,
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Migration and the Geneva Accords
After the 1954 Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into North and South, there was a 300-day period (ending on May 18, 1955) during which Vietnamese people could freely choose their place of residence.
A massive migration occurred, with approximately 1 million people moving from the north to the south and around 50,000 people moving from the south to the north.
The unexpected migration prompted the North Vietnamese government to block roads,
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The portraits in this collection were given by students to their professor at the end of their instruction in the 50s. The written words on the back primarily serve as a formal farewell and provide information about their names and the dates, allowing us to identify the individuals. Fortunately, within one specific portrait, the student also included the name of the Nguyen Van Khue School.
Professor Huỳnh Công Ân says : “From its inception in 1940, Nguyen Van Khue School stood as one of the largest private schools in Cochinchina during the French colonization period.
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Fernand Nadal, born in Algeria, arrived in Saigon in the 1920s. His first advertisement in the magazine Indochine française (1922) described his activities as follows: “Art Photographie—Photography for business” and “Publishing: postcards, photo albums, and documentaries on Cochinchina, Cambodia, and Annam.”
Unlike other studios that focused primarily on portraits, Nadal’s work provided a documentary perspective of that era. He published over 2000 photos, with notable albums including:
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For the Indochina period, historian François Drémeaux reveals an intriguing fact: Hong Kong served as the first harbor of French Indochina. This choice was influenced by several factors, with one of the primary attractions being the city’s favorable taxes and free port system.
The Vietnamese Administration of the Nguyen Dynasty also recognized this advantage. In 1865, they dispatched Dr. Dang Huy Tru on a Chinese mission to explore Hong Kong’s current development. At that time,
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The name of Huong Ky Photo is more associated to the history of cinema in Vietnam than to Photography.
Located in Hang Trong Street (Rue des tambours), Hanoi, the studio photo was established in 1905 by Mr. Nguyen Lan Huong (1887 – 1949).
This street is famous for the production of a specific woodcut paintings. The craftsman only prints the black outlines of the image, then will finish the details by hand.
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Text from the article
THE VISIT OF THE EMPEROR OF ANNAM TO TONKIN
We mentioned, in our last issue, the visit that the Emperor of Annam Bao Daï made to Tonkin during the first half of December. We have since received some new photographs which illustrate with a picturesque commentary this study trip of the young sovereign, the impact of which was considerable in all the cities and regions he traveled.
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Khanh Ky’s real name is Nguyen Dinh Khanh (1874-1946), opened a photography studio in 1892 on Hang Da street. The business being successful he opened many studios in Hanoi, Haiphong, Saigon (1907, 1924) even in China at Guangzhou (1924).Unlike other photographers, he attached particular importance to train his operators who mainly came from Lai Xa village, in Ha Dong province who is considered as considered the cradle of Vietnamese photography.
In 1910, Khanh Ky went to France to study photography.
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The steamliner began his career on September 22, 1912 on the Far East line. In 1914, it was, with its 13,000 gross tonnage, the largest and most luxurious of the Company’s liners, the only one able to offer “luxury” cabins, equivalent to the North Atlantic lines.
Some excerpts of the travel story on Jeanne Marie Méchin aboard the Paul Lecat in November 1923 between Marseille and Saigon. These letters take a month to reach France till the France-Indochina air mail link reduced the time to one week.
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Text from the leaflet
HAIPHONG, the port of the French Protectorate of Tongking, is situated at the far end of the Gulf of Tong-king, on the Cua-Cam, 90 minutes from the sea, and is 8229 miles from Marseilles. Its population is about 75.000, of which the French and Chinese number 15.000.
Fine streets and spacious boulevards bordered by brilliant flowering trees and shrubs give the town a most cheerful appearance. Among its most important buildings are the Residency,
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This album is a rare archive containing snapshots and instant photos made by M. Barbet on his trip from Marseille (France) to Hanoi (Vietnam formerly Indochina ) in the early 20th century on the steamliner of the company Messageries Maritimes .
Usually at that time, photography practice was made by professional photographers because the process involved heavy and voluminous gears to be setup. The low sensitivity of the film also needed a long exposure time.
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Extracts of the article in Air France Magazine 1950
by MAURICE LEMOINE, general secretary of Air France
It was one of the first commercial enterprises in the young state to associate French interests with those of the government. Vietnamese. The latter holds half of the capital, the other half being distributed among various French shareholders, first and foremost Air France. From multiple points of view, this Air Vietnam creation is worthy of attention.
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Nguyen Tan Trung, president of Air Vietnam, has been named chairman of the Board of Directors of the Republic of Vietnam flag carrier. His nomination by board members to the post, which has traditionally been held by a cabinet minister, has been approved by the Vietnamese Government.
Calling 1974 ‘‘a year of challenge for everyone in the
airline business,” Mr. Nguyen Tan Trung said he was persuaded to accept the
additional responsibility with Air Vietnam in consideration of the national
interest and in view of the prospects of the development of the company.
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This text comes from the book Mémoires de Son Excellence Huynh Con dit Đan Tường by Jean-Jacnal written 1924.
This biography of a former Minister of Rites at the Court of Annam contains historical details of his life and has an interesting description of music at the Court.
“Every night, we brought in singers. So little has been written about this category of people that no doubt I will be allowed to give some details about their life,
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These exclusive documents (text, images) of Air Vietnam are part of our collected archives. They fill the gap in the official narrative of Vietnamese Aviation.
Note by the author NGUYÊN MẠNH CUNG
This article was written according to the documents of Mr. Fery Vital, ITA, DGAC and Air France, with the collaboration of Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen and Mr. Nguyen Tu Thien, Lam Ngoc Diep, Tran Tho Phuoc ,
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