Image from a public source
The first development of photography in Mongolia became the basis for the development of media photography and photojournalism. As a result of multifaceted measures taken by the government to develop national photojournalists to a professional level, special professional photojournalists were trained in foreign universities and taught higher education.
Certain relevant facts exist about the origin of photojournalism or press photography in Mongolia.
Between 1873 and 1925, there were many historical photo documents about 200-300 foreign scientists, researchers, and travelers who went to Mongolia. Travelers and explorers from many countries, such as Russia, Germany, France, America, Denmark, Japan, and China, took pictures of Mongolia's real image and made it known to the world. From that time, Mongolians began to experience the miracle of photography.
The first photographs of Mongolia were taken by researchers of Tsarist Russia, A.N. Boyarsky, S.M. Dudin, A.V. Adrianov, N.A. Charushin, and V.V. Lanin. They are a rare document that shows the history of Mongolians in a photograph. Among them, a full-length portrait of Bogd Khan and the queen, Ambassador of Mongolia to Tsarist Russia, Sain Noyon Khan prince Namnansuren holding his credentials are among the works published in the first edition of our photography.
Russian photographer B.K Bula took a photo of the Mongolian delegation's visit to St. Petersburg and published it in 1912 in the magazine titled "The World". Today, looking back at those pictures, they are not only an invaluable contribution to our understanding but also a historical source.
For example: "...from August 1911 to September 1914, the Mongolian magazine, which was published monthly in Beijing, had sections such as pictures, death notices, critical articles, important hearings, questions, official letters, special items, and short stories. In the photo section of the magazine, important events in Mongolian-Chinese relations were published. For example, there were pictures of the headmaster of the school where Mongolian’s study, and pictures of the graduates of the first-class school in Beijing.
Also, "From May 1909 to December 1918, the Mongolian newspaper, published twice a month by the Russian administration of the Eastern China Railway in Harbin city, employed its regular reporters in the densely populated settlements of Mongolia, such as Da Khuree, Uliastai, Hovd, and Holonbuir.
In October 1917, the newspaper established a reporting bureau in the capital, and paid 30 MNT monthly to the people working in the bureau, as well as the cost of telephones and photography". The hand and the photograph had a certain place in the newspaper article.
In addition, it is noted in the historical documents that a Chinese photographer started working with the VIII Bogd Javzandamba nobility around 1904. After Mongolia's independence in 1911, there is evidence that Dambadarjaa worked as a cameraman and Badam Vanpilov as a driver and film mechanic at Bogd Khan's palace. In addition to these, scientists, tourists, and merchants who traveled to our country are the pioneers who promoted the life of Mongolians through photographs. Researchers noted that detailed and short news, satires, interviews, information, critical reviews, articles, foreign news, trade advertisements, photographs, and hand-drawn drawings were published in Mongolian newspapers published in Harbin.
However, a small number of Mongolians, such as Badam during the reign of Bogd Khanate Mongolia, and Choijinjem, who was a photographer at the Institute of Language and Literature during the reign of Emperor Mongolia, took photos.
As for the photo that first appeared in the press, it was in the August 1924 issue of the Mongolian People's National Culture Route magazine.
Comrade Sukhbaatar, Bodoo, Danzan, and Japanese Danzan Elbegdorj’s images were captured. This photo is considered to be the first picture.
In general, the first photographs of Mongolia were portraits of the leaders of the revolution, as can be seen from the above documents. From all this, it can be seen that newspapers and magazines of that time published only portraits.
Source: Batbaatar Tserendorj
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