Thailand/ Laos: A mandarin of Khemarat in present-day Thailand, redrawn from an 1867 sketch by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte.

This illustration by Louis Delaporte is one of dozens he produced during his two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina. Of this encounter, he wrote: “Barely ashore, I saw a Laotian coming to meet me, his distinguished bearing and numerous retinue showing he was an important man. Big, well-built, draped in Roman style with a robe that covered his whole body, he had a bearing rare in Laos and a truly remarkable face.”

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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Pictures From History