23 Rare Historical Photos Never Exposed Until Now

4. The Mestiza de Sangley

This captivating, mysterious portrait taken by photographer Francisco Van Camp in the late 19th century shows a beautiful young woman wearing traditional garments. Very little is known about her–only that she was a “Mestiza de Sangley” woman, a term that originates from the Spanish Philippines.

The term “Sangley mestizo”, or Chinese mestizo, originating in the Spanish Colonial Period during the 16th-19th centuries, was used to describe people of Chinese ancestry. Dutch photographer Francisco Van Camp took this photo in his studio in Manilla, ca. 1875, but unfortunately, the woman’s identity is unknown, though some regard her as the “Mona Lisa” of the Pacific Islands.