Grandfather’s Photography

Written by Peter Lichang Kuo

More than a hundred years ago, my grandfather, Kuo Biao (1892–1953), had the ability to transform small black-and-white photographs into large, colored portraits. As his fleet traveled through ports around the world, these works served as diplomatic gifts, helping to promote the agricultural products of our hometown across the globe. Yet, in that fallen age of brutality and moral decay, my grandfather was stripped of everything in 1937, left with nothing “because of his righteousness.” To commemorate the 72nd anniversary of his passing, I have composed a poem in his honor as following:

Grandfather’s Color Portrait,

Holds the legendary tale of Kuo Biao.

Tainan’s richest in his prime,

Sacrificed for righteousness, leaving no ties.

His withered hand in farewell raised,

Like Jesus lives beyond the grave.

His virtue echoes through generations,

The name of Kuo Biao shall live on.

Fig 1: "Jesus is living" given to my father by my grandpa before his death

Our ancestors accumulated virtue, blessing future generations. Upholding their values and relying on our own efforts, we successfully brought "the electronic store system" (TES), composed of "contactless TranSmart chip technology," to APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and promoted it worldwide. This achievement has driven the development of the 21st-century digital economy, benefiting people across the globe—about 1.5 billion new jobs created. This achievement is not only the result of our hard work but also deeply connected to the profound virtues of our ancestors.

The other day, while visiting a friend, my son suddenly said he was coming home. I hurried back, and he mentioned a school assignment on "Tracing Roots"—surprisingly, even the seminary was studying genealogy. Now, as I open the materials he sent over, memories of my grandfather, Kuo Biao, come rushing back, especially his stories related to photography.

As a child, I often played around with my father (whom I’ll call A-Kun). The two of us would chase each other from Chong-An Street all the way to the canal-side Shakaliba and then visit Tian-Yuan Fabric Store, where my godmother (who was also my eldest aunt) would help make up for the hunger we could reach at home. Across from Tian-Yuan was Da-Jing Shoe Store, operated by my maternal granduncle (my grandmother’s brother). Inside the store, there was a color photograph of my granduncle from his younger years, about B4 size (slightly bigger than A4).

A-Kun once told me, "That was your grandfather’s masterpiece. He took a black-and-white photo and used a synchronized enlarger to create a large-sized color photograph."

After taking over the family suvival burden, starting in 1967, I made an average net profit of several hundred thousand NT dollars per month, which my mother (whom I’ll call A-Jin) freely spent. Consequently, in 1968, I bought a Leica twin-lens reflex camera to photograph my manufactured products. By 1973, I asked someone to buy me the latest “Canon FTB single-lens reflex camera” from Japan. Over time, I acquired lenses ranging from 28 mm to 1000 mm, along with various filters. During that period, all my photographs were in black and white. It wasn’t until 1974 that there were talks about promoting color processing equipment. This made me wonder—how was my grandfather already able to produce color photographs a hundred years ago?

I heard that my grandfather used to travel with his fleet, bringing along his color photography works as gifts to people around the world. Unfortunately, in 1937, after refusing a lucrative offer from the Japanese government—which involved transporting comfort women—his property was confiscated. In his final days, all he had left was a single picture with the words "Jesus is living", which he left to A-Kun. Sadly, he was mocked by a pair betraying servants, who scornfully called my grandpa as "Tainan’s greatest spendthrift."

Fig 2: AI-generated "Jesus is living"

Photography: A Few Essential Facts

In today’s world, where smartphones have made photography an everyday activity, capturing good photographs still requires a combination of technique, equipment, environment, and creativity. Key photography techniques include:

1) Composition – Utilizing techniques such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, and framing to create visually appealing images.

2) Exposure – Mastering the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to avoid overexposure or underexposure.

3) Focusing – Ensuring the subject is sharp and using depth of field (a larger aperture results in a shallower depth of field) to control background blur.

4) Color and White Balance – Adjusting white balance based on ambient light to achieve natural colors.

5) Lighting – Enhancing atmosphere using natural light (such as golden hour and blue hour) or artificial light (like flash or fill lights).

Back in the day, the Canon FTB SLR camera was a high-end device. It could take portraits with a standard lens (35-50 mm), and could capture the delicate textures on leave with a macro lens (85-135 mm), and a telephoto lens helped me photograph rare birds perched on trees. Filters adjusted light and environmental effects, and with a tripod, I could take breathtaking long-exposure night shots. My camera gear filled an entire box, yet even on trips to the United States, I tirelessly carried it around. Despite the physical effort, photography trained my patience and observational skills.

However, the more I learned about photography, the more I found myself puzzled by my grandfather’s skills. How was he able to enlarge small black-and-white photos into large color prints a hundred years ago using a self-made synchronized enlarger? Even at my technical peak in 1973, with ample resources and collaboration with professional photographers, I still couldn’t convert black-and-white photos into color. I came to realize that my grandfather’s photography skills were not only highly advanced but also uniquely sophisticated. Moreover, using these color photographs as diplomatic gifts demonstrated his technical expertise, artistic vision, and practical foresight.

First, The "Synchronized Enlarger"—An Optical Masterpiece

My grandfather’s "synchronized enlarger" was likely a custom-built photographic enlarging device, similar to a darkroom enlarger. The principle behind it involved optical projection, where a small negative was enlarged onto a larger photosensitive paper, followed by development and processing. Historical research indicates that in the early 20th century, commercial enlargers were not widely available, so many professional photographers designed their own. This suggests that my grandfather was not only a successful businessman but also a master of mechanics, optics, and chemistry, capable of crafting his own synchronized enlarger. His ability to precisely control focus and magnification ensured high fidelity, allowing his hand-colored photos to maintain their intricate details and even exhibit an artistic quality.

Second, Transforming Black-and-White Photos into Color—A Rare Skill

Before the invention of digital color technology, all color photographs were hand-colored black-and-white prints. Given the technological limitations of the early 20th century, my grandfather’s ability to enlarge, hand-color, and process photographs was truly remarkable. The main hand-coloring techniques at the time included:

1) Watercolor Tinting – Applying transparent watercolor to allow details of the black-and-white photo to show through.

2) Oil Painting on Photos – Using oil-based pigments to create rich, long-lasting colors.

3) Pastel or Colored Pencil Tinting – Producing soft, natural color effects.

4) Airbrush Coloring – Spraying pigments to achieve smooth gradients.

My grandfather likely mastered one or more of these techniques, ensuring his photos appeared natural, detailed, and rich in depth, making them ideal as diplomatic gifts. However, hand-colored photographs could fade over time if not properly preserved. Yet, when I saw my granduncle’s color photo 72 years after my grandfather’s passing, its colors remained vibrant and lifelike. This suggests my grandfather might have applied a special protective coating (such as clear varnish or a custom egg-white glaze) to fix the colors or used light-resistant pigments for long-term preservation.

In above said color photo, granduncle's face was turned slightly to the right, making his half-length portrait appear three-dimensional and dynamic, creating a natural visual flow. The composition was quite exquisite. Unfortunately, a color photo my grandfather left behind was ruined when my brothers and I, as children, scribbled on it with pencils, hoping that it can be restored when artificial intelligence (AI) is upgraded.

Fig 3: A color photo of my granduncle made by my grandpa

Third, Photography as a Diplomatic Gift

At the time, photography was one of advanced technologies, and hand-colored photographs were even rarer and more precious. My grandfather’s ability to create large, high-quality color prints showcased his expertise in optics and photography—a form of artistic mastery. His skill in transforming small black-and-white photos into large, full-color images made his works not just ordinary pictures, but valuable artistic pieces, worthy of diplomatic exchanges. This combination of technology and culture gave his He-Mei merchant fleet an unparalleled advantage as they traveled the world.

Key Features of My Grandfather’s Photography Expertise

Summarizing his skills, my grandfather excelled in at least three areas:

1) Hand-coloring and Innovation – By adding color to black-and-white photographs, he elevated them into lifelike, artistic representations of the era.

2) Integration of Mechanical and Optical Techniques – His ability to design and build enlargers and related tools showcased his deep knowledge of science and craftsmanship.

3) Focus on Emotion and Detail – His photography was not just a technical achievement but also a reflection of social, cultural, and emotional understanding, giving his works historical and sentimental value.

George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, passed away in 1932, before commercial color film was available. Yet, my grandfather achieved color photography even earlier. His works embodied a deep understanding of photographic craftsmanship, artistic expression, and innovation. At a time when such technology was cutting-edge, his expertise was undoubtedly ahead of its time. His love and mastery of photography allowed him to create masterpieces that still astonish us today. More importantly, he used his works as diplomatic gifts, facilitating the global trade of agricultural products from his homeland.

My grandfather truly deserves to be recognized among the greatest pioneers of photographic craftsmanship.

Looking Back at the Story of My Grandfather, Kuo Biao

Story 1

In June 1982, during the second scheme orchestrated by A-Jin to seize my assets, I was left penniless and forced to walk away from the company I had founded, “Cheng Kuang Precision Industry Co., Ltd.”. I also lost a child in the process. In desperation, I took a job at a toy company to make ends meet. One day, while checking on a catalog being made for the company, I went to the print plant, the owner’s mother glanced at me and asked: "What is Kuo Biao to you?"

I replied, "He is my grandpa."

She immediately opened up with excitement.

It turned out that this elderly lady had once worked for my grandfather's He-Mei Trading Company. She said, "Your grandfather set up a charge-free funeral service section in his company to help the poor with burials. He let tenants cultivate thousands of hectares of his land and never even collected rent from them."

The kindness and generosity she described were completely different from the contemptuous words that A-Jin always used when speaking about my grandfather.

Story 2

Near Chihkan Tower in Tainan City, there is a street known as "Rice Street."

One day, my son had a craving for eel noodles, so we drove all the way from Taipei to Tainan just for a meal. After our feast, we took a stroll down Rice Street, where a tea shop owner warmly greeted us at his storefront:

"Come in for some tea!"

As he brewed a pot of Red Jade No. 10 Tea, he proudly declared, "I know the real boss of He-Mei!"

I asked, "Are you talking about Kuo Biao?"

He looked at me carefully and replied, "Yes! You look just like him!"

I answered, "He is my grandpa."

The tea shop owner sighed, "Time flies… before I knew it, I turned 80."

Then, he reminisced about how my grandfather was a highly respected nobleman. When the tea shop owner was a child, his family lost everything in a fire. My grandfather helped his father find a new shop, provided them with tea leaves from Nantou, and enabled them to rebuild their lives.

"Your grandfather never looked down on me just because I was a kid," he added. "He even took a photo of me and gave it to me as a gift."

Story 3

On January 4, 1999, A-Kun suddenly passed away. His belongings were discarded like trash in the courtyard, forming a huge pile. From a distance, I noticed a tiny glimmer of light. When I walked closer, I saw it was an old photo album. Inside were the photos my brothers and I had scribbled on with pencils as children. After all, A-Jin had always said, "Photographer is useless guy! Everyone in those photos is a bad person!"

However, to my surprise, the “Jesus is Living” photo was tucked inside the album, along with a picture of my great-grandmother, Kuo Chang Bian Niang (1873–1953).

Fig 4: A photo of great-grandmother taken by grandpa

Story 4

On January 28, 2022, A-Jin passed away. Throughout her life, she had devised countless schemes to divide and alienate my brothers. But on the day of her funeral, we were all reunited once again.

As we talked, I learned that my younger brother, when he was serving as the Deputy Magistrate of Kaohsiung County, he actually took back a piece of land that my grandfather had taken away by stronger with straw ropes in 1937. After resigning from his position as Deputy Magistrate, he sold the land for billion of dollars. So, the long-standing rumor—"Your grandfather lost thousands of hectares of land overnight"—turned out to be true.

Final thoughts, the legendary stories of Kuo Biao could fill an entire book, yet one thing is certain: "He was a truly extraordinary and compassionate man."

My Grandfather’s Legacy

At 16 years old, my grandfather lost his own grandfather. At 17, he lost his father. With no other choice, he shouldered the heavy burden of running He-Mei Trading Company, turning it into a thriving business.

My grandmother was 16 years old when she married into the Kuo family, serving as its matriarch for 27 years. She once recalled: "We owned real estate all across Tokyo—from Setagaya to Ikebukuro and Shibuya. In China, we had properties from Zhangzhou to Jiangxi. Our business extended to Southeast Asia and India, selling spices all the way to Paris, France.” Moreover, My grandfather, Kuo Biao, provided financial and logistical support to the Japanese in filling the Taijiang Inner Sea and also funded the construction of the Tainan Canal. To give the poor a place to do business, he built “Shakariba” beside the canal.

Was Kuo Biao Really "Tainan’s Greatest Wastrel"?

When my son was undergoing military training at Cheng-Kung Ling, I went to visit him and happened to meet some fellow townspeople from Tainan’s Central and Western District. They spoke about the current state of the area near He-Mei Trading Company. They also mentioned the stark reality of choosing between being a loyal servant who suffered or betraying one’s master to gain the He-Mei headquarter along with 360 hectares of land.

With one voice, they all said: "Even if it were in the middle of the night, we would still choose to take the 360 hectares of land!"

How did a benevolent tycoon, once the wealthiest man in Tainan, end up being labeled "Tainan’s greatest wastrel" in a time of moral corruption?

In 1937, at the onset of Japan’s invasion of China, much of Southeast Asia—from Singapore to Papua New Guinea—had already fallen. My grandfather, Kuo Biao, was the wealthiest man in Tainan at the time. He had a clear choice: he could have collaborated with the Japanese and made a fortune, but he instead chose to reject the transportation of comfort women.

This decision was not wastefulness, but a demonstration of moral integrity and national identity.

My grandpa’s fortune was not lost due to reckless extravagance, mismanagement, or gambling. It was forcefully confiscated by the Japanese military. This is not “squandering wealth”—it is “being robbed.”

It is a historical fact that the 360 hectares of land and the He-Mei headquarter were seized by former servants. They chose to betray their master, lured by the promises of the Japanese occupiers. This was a tragedy of the times, not my grandpa’s fault.

On his deathbed, his frail, trembling hands reached out to his only remaining son, A-Kun, and gave him a colored painting of “Jesus is Living.” Even in his final moments, he held firm to his faith. He never bowed to power.

This was not a failure, but a spiritual victory.

Though my grandpa lost everything in the material world, his soul remained unyielding. He stored up his treasures in heaven, leaving behind a legacy of faith.

Thus, my grandpa, Kuo Biao, was not a wastrel, but a martyr in turbulent times.

Epilogue

My grandfather developed a passion for photography at a young age. He had the ability to transform small black-and-white photographs into large, full-color prints, which he used for public relations and to help local farmers sell their produce to markets worldwide.

This year marks the 72nd anniversary of his passing, and I have written this piece in his memory—to honor a man of great vision and social responsibility. He was not only a righteous man, but also a pioneer in photography and a great artist. His story deserves to be recorded and passed down.

What do you think of the title: “Tainan’s Wealthiest Man Under the Light and Shadows – Kuo Biao”?

Through photography and business acumen, my grandfather marketed Taiwanese agricultural products—from Nantou to Kaohsiung and Pingtung—to the global market. After meeting the Japanese missionary Abe Fujio, he saw material wealth as insignificant, remained steadfast in his faith, and chose to sacrifice himself for strangers.

Of course, he understood the consequences of rejecting the transportation of comfort women, yet he still chose to leave behind only one thing—“Jesus is living”.

This extraordinary resolve and perspective on life made him a rare, untainted presence in a chaotic era.

The Japanese military erased the name “Kuo Biao” from history, and his betraying servants deliberately slandered him, using A-Jin as their mouthpiece.

But wealth can be stolen—spirit and contributions cannot be erased.

Taiwan should not forget Kuo Biao. His trading expertise and photography skills once illuminated this land.

I believe that my grandfather was a brave man in a turbulent era.

A hero should not be forgotten.

He was a symbol of Taiwanese national integrity.

A-Kun was a master craftsman, full of creativity and ideas, likely influenced by my grandfather’s teachings by example.

As for me, I established Taiwan’s precision industry in Yong-Kang, Tainan, leaving behind a supply chain that plays a crucial role in today’s semiconductor-driven world. This should have been inherited from my grandfather's genes.

I vividly recall the Lunar New Year of 2007, when I prayed on the rooftop of Dadu Mountain. A voice spoke to me:

“Go find a photo of your grandfather.”

To my shock, not a single photograph of a photography master remained—all had been destroyed!

I immediately drove south, visiting several places at random, and eventually found one of my grand-aunt’s sons.

To my astonishment, he had preserved a portrait of my grandfather, Kuo Biao.

That uncle then asked me: "Do you know your grandfather’s body was left to rot in the wilderness?"

It turned out that A-Jin and my younger brother had prevented people from repairing my grandfather’s tomb after it was damaged by heavy rain.

Luckily, that voice guided me just in time, allowing me to relocate my grandfather’s remains to Fuguinansan (Columbarium) in Tainan, where he could finally rest beside my grandmother.

I was then able to restore his only surviving black-and-white portrait—having it recreated in color by an artist.

Fig 5: The portrait of my grandfather Kuo Biao

Today, as I reviewed the documents my son sent me, I made an astonishing discovery:

My grandfather passed away at No. 45 Chong-An Street in 1953. Three months later, I was born at No. 45 Chong-An Street.

Life and death seem intertwined.

I grew up in that house, where A-Jin attempted to kill me multiple times. Yet, I always survived—perhaps because my grandpa’s spirit was watching over me.

One particular incident stands out:

At the age of nine, A-Jin stabbed me in the temple with an iron rod. I collapsed, covered in blood—but then, a light shone upon me. From that moment on, my journey in craftsmanship began.

By my age twelve, after A-Kun suffered a complete breakdown because of the “White Terror,” I was able to support my family through my skills.

Eventually, I became a symbol of hope for the impoverished in Tainan, proving that even the downtrodden could rise again.

As the tea shop owner once said: “You carry the genes of a great family.”

Looking back, I now realize—my grandfather’s legacy truly lives on in me.

Peter Lichang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. Peter was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.