A Thousand Words: Joss Houses

This picture is of a “Joss House,” a slang term for a shop that sells paper goods that the Chinese burn at funerals, cemeteries, and anywhere else they would like to honor their ancestors. Taken in 1892, most likely in San Francisco’s Chinatown, this photograph depicts an elaborate joss house, decorated with lanterns, and Chinese dolls or paper figures. It could have been taken by a fascinated bystander, or by someone who was curious about the mysterious building housing hundreds of paper offerings. Items in joss houses can vaguely resemble real items, or be detailed, realistic representations of valuable goods.