Photography used to be a luxury in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, affordable only to the rich and the powerful. Now photographs of that period are on display in an exhibition at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, offering glimpses of history for the younger generations.

This family portrait and this photograph of a young socialite were taken during the era of Japanese occupation.

The social status of the pedestrians in this black-and-white photograph of a Taipei street scene, which is from the same period, is easily ascertained.

From the subjects of these century-old photographs, it is clear that photographs were once a status symbol.

At the time, the cost of having a photograph taken was equivalent to 20% of the average person's income.

As a result, photographs were only taken at major ceremonies or events, such as the completion of temples.

Glass plate negatives were used to produce lacquerware photographs, which is now considered a lost art.

However, restoration technology is allowing the public to get a glimpse into the lives of the wealthy in the 1910s.

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