Photographer Khanh Ky, The first photo reporter in Vietnam (Indochina period)

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. He was chosen as the official photographer to take portraits for Indochina military personalities. In 1913, Mr. Raymond Poincarre was elected President of France. Among the hundreds of photographers capturing this victorious moment,  Khanh Ky’s photo was chosen by the Illustration Magazin to be on the cover. Khanh Ky started to be famous.

He met Vietnamese revolutionaries such as Phan Chau Trinh and Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh firstname) and helped them by employing them as operators.  Altogether they were living at the address 6 Villa Gobelin in Paris  with another historical personality, the lawyer Phan Van Truong.

Back in Saigon in 1924, he opened his studio in Saigon 56 Bonnard Avenue, in the well-known neighborhood of Charner and Bonnard avenues whether other French studios established their office from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries in the Indochina Period.

Besides his studio works which are mainly portraits, he has published in several newspapers, becoming the first Vietnamese photo reporter, such as:

• Le Monde Colonial Illustré, on the occasion of Mr. Paul Reynaud, Minister of Colonies, visiting Cochinchina in 1931.

• L’Illustration, with Emperor Bao Dai’s delegation along with Pasquier’s military team and French officials in visit to Tonkin and Hai Phong in 1933. See below for the content

His business falling, he returned to France in 1934 and remained there until his death in 1946.  When Ho Chi Minh went to France for the Fontainebleau conference in 1946, he payed his respects at the grave of Khanh Ky.

The following photos are come from our exclusives archives