VietNamNet introduces the collection of old photos of Saigon in the 1860-1909 period, owned by architect Doan Bac and his father, teacher Doan Thinh.

 

The collection, with hundreds of photos, is praised by historian Duong Trung Quoc as the oldest of its kind, featuring Saigon.

 

The photos come from two major sources: teacher Vu The Khoi and the family of Louis Sadoul, a French military doctor.

 

Teacher Vu The Khoi is the son of Vu Dinh Hoe, the first Minister of Education of Vietnam. During his visit to an archive center in Paris, Khoi was presented ancient photos of Vietnam. He gave the photos to his student – architect Doan Bac for preservation.

 

Louis Sadoul was a French army doctor, who worked in Vietnam in 1889, 1890 and 1903. Sadoul’s nephew and his wife (Pierre and Claude Sadoul) presented Louis Sadoul’s pictures to Doan Bac.

 

Doan Bac is also the owner of a big collection of old photos about Hanoi.

 

Saigon in ancient photos

 

Saigon River:

 


Saigon Port (1866).

A wharf for merchant ships (1866).

Saigon port and a French-style street (1866).

A warship in the Saigon River (1866).

Boats in the Saigon River (1890).

Making entrance formalities at the Saigon Port (1890).

 

Saigon streets

 

Saigon planning map (1866).

A construction site in Charner Street, in Saigon’s hub (1866).

Saigon Botanical Garden (1890).

Ben Nghe (1901).

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica (1890).

St. Enfance Cathedral (1866).

Norodom Palace (1866).

Southern Governor Palace (1890).

Sentry box of a marine garrison (1901).

An ancient Buddhist temple of Vietnamese (1900).

Pagoda of Khmer people (1890).

A pagoda of Chinese Vietnamese (1890).

A tomb (1866).

 

Daily life in Saigon:

 

A street in 1866.

At a market (1890).

Vendors (1890).

Pedestrians (1900).

Traffic in Catinat Street (Dong Khoi now) in 1890.

Vietnamese officials (1890).

Rickshaws (1890).

Governor Bonhoure and his wife in Saigon (1909).

Houses and shops near the port (1909).

Rotonde Café (1901).

Chinese Vietnamese’s houses in Ben Nghe River (1866).

A brick-kiln (1866).

A tomb (1866).

 

PV