Artist and collector Thomas Sauvin recovered discarded negatives from a recycling plant outside Beijing. Scroll through the gallery to see a selection of the 850,000 images he has discovered.
Artist and collector Thomas Sauvin recovered discarded negatives from a recycling plant outside Beijing. Scroll through the gallery to see a selection of the 850,000 images he has discovered.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
The negatives are often damaged by the time Sauvin gets to them. This photo marks a rare occasion when the mold fit with the picture's backdrop, Sauvin said.
The negatives are often damaged by the time Sauvin gets to them. This photo marks a rare occasion when the mold fit with the picture's backdrop, Sauvin said.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
Sauvin has been archiving the photos for the last 10 years as part of his project, Beijing Silvermine.
Sauvin has been archiving the photos for the last 10 years as part of his project, Beijing Silvermine.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
A man poses in front of a replica Manhattan at a Beijing theme park.
A man poses in front of a replica Manhattan at a Beijing theme park.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
Sauvin's new exhibition juxtaposes images of people at Beijing World Park with people visiting the original overseas landmarks.
Sauvin's new exhibition juxtaposes images of people at Beijing World Park with people visiting the original overseas landmarks.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
The photos often capture people on holidays or family outings.
The photos often capture people on holidays or family outings.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
People posing with flowers is a recurring theme among the archive's 850,000 photos.
People posing with flowers is a recurring theme among the archive's 850,000 photos.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
One of the recovered images shows a woman posing with a fake shark.
One of the recovered images shows a woman posing with a fake shark.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
Many of the found photos depict people on holiday, such as this unidentified woman at a beach.
Many of the found photos depict people on holiday, such as this unidentified woman at a beach.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
Sauvin has found a number of photos of people posing with statues of Ronald McDonald after Western fast food chains arrived in China in the early 1990s.
Sauvin has found a number of photos of people posing with statues of Ronald McDonald after Western fast food chains arrived in China in the early 1990s.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
Sauvin's 2015 book "Till Death do us Part," brought together various photos he found of people smoking at weddings.
Sauvin's 2015 book "Till Death do us Part," brought together various photos he found of people smoking at weddings.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
Sauvin found that twins are often dressed in identical clothes and asked to pose in a way that makes the photo almost symmetrical.
Sauvin found that twins are often dressed in identical clothes and asked to pose in a way that makes the photo almost symmetrical.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin
How the negatives find their way to the recycling plant remains a mystery.
How the negatives find their way to the recycling plant remains a mystery.
Courtesy Thomas Sauvin