Description
The collection comprises a photograph
album of over 100 black-and-white photographic prints related to the Chinese Eastern Railway
line of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the 1920s. The photographs depict railway lines,
bridges, train stations, cargo loading, the manufacture of locomotive parts, the interiors
and exteriors of railway cars, and group portraits of railway staff. Photographs also depict
tourists, local people, and landscapes along the route. The album also includes several
photographic postcards of Harbin China, a few photomechanical prints, and a photographic
reproduction of a black-and-white painting of Hingan Railway Loop. Most photographs have
handwritten captions in Russian.
Background
Completed in 1901, the Chinese Eastern Railway is the trans-Manchurian line of the
Trans-Siberian Railway that runs from the Transbaikal region to Vladivostok. By 1904 the
line from Vladivostok was linked all the way to Moscow, and by 1916 the Trans-Siberian
Railroad was complete. At the time of its construction the Chinese Eastern Railway was the
shortest route from European Russia to Russia's port (Vladivostok) on the Sea of Japan.
China granted Russia the right to construct the Chinese Eastern line in Manchuria during a
period of secret alliance between the two countries (circa 1896). The Chinese seized control
of the line from the Soviets in 1927, but relinquished control in 1929. In 1935 the Soviet
Union sold the line to Japanese-controlled Manchukuo. Following World War II Chinese ruler
Chiang Kai-shek granted the Soviets a thirty-year partnership in the line. The Soviet Union
returned its share of the Chinese Eastern Railway to the People's Republic of China in
1953.
Extent
0.8 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the
creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please
contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Availability
The collection is open for research.