ATO Photographic Association China Photograph Albums, ca. 1920s

Summary

Extent:

.4 linear feet (1 document box)

Language:

English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains two black cloth albums ca. 1920s, containing 260 b/w photographs, most with English captions (some of these descriptions seem rather speculative), featuring a number of scenes from various locales in China, Mongolia, and Manchuria. Among the photographs are scenes of Kopaka Principality, showing yurts and Lamaistic temple buildings, a Lamist Temple, executive office of a Mongolian Prince [Peitzumiao], young princes, highly decorated families of Mongolian officials and their wives in ornamented gowns, views of Mongols and Mongolian costume, life, customs, dwellings, Lama Priests, Lama Temples and Towers, musical instruments. There are also photographs of Northeastern Manchuria and its agricultural products, wild rivers, pack mule herds, Kirin province, products, forests, the Sungari River, the snow-bound Huangshantzu, the Chiao River, woodcutters work and life cutting telephone poles and railway ties. Soochow sights include: the Juikuangssu Tower, canal streets, the "Venice of China", great architectural works such as arched bridges, Pagodas, Yenchi town in Chientao among others.

There is an interesting series of photos of the honghuzi ("Honghudze" in the descriptive text), the so-called red bearded bandits, active in Northern China and Manchuria in the 1920s and said to be descended from the famous White Lotus Rebellion of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Some of these captions describe: the Liaosi district police, an enemy spy captured, bandit hunting. Other areas noted include: (Mongolia) the West Gate of Linsi in Eastern Mongolia, Yurts, farmers, poppy fields, granaries, cave life and archers, wrestling, Pao or Mongolian huts, hooded ox- carts; also the Peitzumiao Lamaist temple, a festival, miners, Poshan, Changtien station, the Taishan mountains, rainbow bridge, Nantienmen gate. Shanghai: Peace memorial, the port, Honan Road, a bird shop and bookstall, Honkew market, the French concession, and the Hushinting pavilion. South Manchuria: a whaler's ship, Haiangtao Island, War Memorial on Ta-Changshantao Island. Shangtung: Yangmatao Island, Shihtao, Yungchengwan, Paitsai, Chefoo, Fushan, Penglaiko, Laichow, water castles at Fengchow, Niangniangwei and others.

Acquisition information:

Purchase, 2003.

Physical location:

Del Sur

Location of this collection:

UC Santa Barbara, Special Research Collections

UC Santa Barbara Library

Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US

Contact:

(805) 893-3062

special@library.ucsb.edu

Website