Finding Aid for Princess Der Ling’s collection of photographs of the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi of China, 1903-1905
Processed by UCLA Library Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 2012
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Princess Der Ling’s collection of photographs of the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi of China
Date (inclusive): 1903-1905
Collection number: 529
Creator:
Der Ling, Princess.
Extent:
1 oversize box.
Abstract: Collection consists of 8 photographs of the Empress Dowager of China.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Princess Der Ling’s collection of photographs of the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi of China (Collection
Number 529). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Biography
Daughter of Lord Yu Keng, a progressive and reform-minded Chinese official and sometime minister to Japan and France. Princess
Der Ling was educated first in missionary schools and then in a French convent. After completing her education, she returned
to China to become the first lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager. She lost her job when she became engaged to an American
whom she subsequently married. Later she wrote several books about the Dowager Empress and her experiences in the Chinese
court, including
Two years in the Forbidden City,
Imperial incense,
Old Buddha,
Kowtow, and
Lotus petals.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of 8 photographs of the Empress Dowager of China, ranging in size from approx. 20" x 12" to 20" x 16".
The first photograph shows her with her ladies-in-waiting, including Princess Der Ling. In the second photograph, Princess
Der Ling is alone with the Empress Dowager; in all the rest of the photographs, the Empress Dowager is shown by herself.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Cixi, Empress dowager of China, 1835-1908 --Photographs.
Der Ling, Princess --Photographs.
Other Index Terms Related to this Collection
Der Ling, Princess.
Container List
Number 1.
Dowager Empress Tzu His checking her hair in a mirror in front of Pan Yuin De'en Palace (Winding Cloud Palace), with ladies-in-waiting.
Physical Description: 15¾" × 19¾".
Scope and Content Note
From left: Empress Lung Yu, wife of Emperor Kuang Hsu; Guin Sho; Princess Der Ling, first court lady to Tzu Hsi; Dowager Empress
Tzu Hsi; Second Eunuch Tsuea; Tsze Gurga, court lady, fourth daughter of Prince Cheng; Yuenda Nina, widow of one of Tzu Hsi's
nephews; Lee Lee, grand-daughter of Lady Yu Keng; Lady Yu Keng, wife of Lord Yu Keng, Minister to Paris 1899 - 1903, and mother
of Der Ling and Roong Ling; Roong Ling, second court lady and Princess Der Ling's sister.
Number 2.
Princess Der Ling helping Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi down Peony Hill toward her palace.
Physical Description: 19 ½" × 13".
Number 3.
Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi, standing, adjusting hair piece whilst looking in hand-held mirror.
Physical Description: 19⅝" × 15 ¾".
Number 4.
Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi, seated, in her one hundred butterfly robe.
Physical Description: 19¾" × 12⅛".
Number 5.
Painting of a young Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi, wearing robe decorated with bunches of grapes, in a standing frame carved with
dragons.
Physical Description: 19⅞" × 12⅛".
Number 6.
Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi, seated, looking down, with white jeweled shoes showing.
Physical Description: 19⅞" × 12¼".
Number 7.
Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi, seated, wearing robes decorated with butterflies and flowers.
Physical Description: 19 ¼" × 15¾".
Number 8.
Dowager Empress Dzu Hsi, seated, wearing shoes heavily decorated with pearls and jewels.
Physical Description: 19¾" × 15⅞".
