The cigarette industry of Taiwan was a monopoly system implemented in 1905 during the Japanese colonial period. Tobacco grown by farmers were purchased by the Monopoly Bureau and reprocessed to make cigarettes. After the war, the Nationalist Government took over Taiwan and maintained the monopoly system of cigarettes. However, small vendors smuggling cigarettes could still be seen on the street. In the early days, it was common for illicit cigarette vendors to evade investigation. The flashpoint of the February 28 incident was the conflict caused by the investigation and seizure of smuggled cigarettes.
Lee Ming-tiao’s work Cigarette Vendor in 1949 was shot in the arcade building of Kangyō Bank built during the Japanese colonial period. The building was taken over by the Land Bank of Taiwan as the headquarter after the war. Lee used a portrait framing to compose the picture. The ground and the top of the column are both included in the composition. The tall column and the small figure of the cigarette vendor waiting alone for costumers at the foot of the column form a contrast. The vertical pillars and walls divide the arcade while the shadow, in great contrast to the light, is parallel to the ground. The sky and the street can be seen in the extended background, which deepens the sense of space, and the overall composition suggests geometric rules and delight.
Liu Yi-hui, “2020 Compilation and Research Project of Metadata in Photography.”