Gung hay fat choy! Chinese New Year is on February 10, which will mark the beginning of the Year of the Snake. To celebrate, we thought we’d use our monthly featured photograph blog post to find some snakes in the Chung Collection.
The Chung Collection actually holds several photographs of snakes- why would that be? It’s because travellers aboard CPR cruises around the world sometimes took photographs or bought postcards of snake charmers in exotic locales along their journey, such as this photograph from Trinidad:
And this photograph from Mumbai:
Although people born in the year of the snake are thought to be careful, independent and charismatic, we know that snakes the reptilian creatures are not everyone’s favorite. For those who suffer from ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), the Chung Collection has a photograph for you too:
This snake is a hedge of flowers, taken in Vancouver in 1921. Phew! That’s better!
To search for snakes, or any other animal in the Chinese zodiac, use your keyword in an advanced search and specify “photographic material” as the media type. You can also see our Chinese zodiac round-up from 2011. Happy year of the snake and happy searching!
If you are in the Vancouver area, be sure to check out the Chinese Benevolent Association’s annual parade and the Year of the Snake Temple Fair at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Classical Garden on February 17.