Francis E. Stafford photographs, 1909-2012

Summary

Creators:

Stafford, Francis E., 1884-1938

Abstract:

Photographs of scenes in China, mainly between 1909 and 1915, and 1932 and 1933.

Extent:

1 manuscript box, 5 oversize boxes, digital media (4 Linear Feet)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Francis E. Stafford photographs, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection, which consists of nearly 1,100 images, includes the largest number of surviving original photographic prints of the Chinese Revolution of 1911. Stafford's historic photographs record the turbulent period between 1910 and 1933, as China transitioned from feudal monarchy to republic. Depicted are battle scenes, military and political figures, as well as everyday people, life, and culture in China. Also included are rare glimpses of printing operations and employees of the Commercial Press.

Stafford's photos first appeared in such publications as the Da Ge Ming Xie Zhen Hua (War Scenes of the Chinese Revolution) and were reproduced as illustrated posters. His work has also been highlighted in several major museum exhibitions in Hong Kong and Shanghai. In 2010 the University of Washington Press republished 162 of the photographs in The Birth of a Republic: Francis Stafford's Photographs of China's 1911 Revolution and Beyond. As noted by the book's editor, Hanchao Lu, Stafford's unique photographs "reveal sweeping social and political change, as well as the tenacity of tradition" and "appeal to historians interested in modern China, revolution, and war."

Biographical / historical:

Stafford was an American missionary in China from 1909 to 1915 and 1932 to 1933. A lithographer and photographer, he arrived in Shanghai in 1909 and was hired by the Commercial Press�-then Asia's largest publishing company--to manage its printing division from 1909 to 1915. During the onset of the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911, Stafford was on hand to capture remarkable photos of the Qing Dynasty's collapse.

Acquisition information:

Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives from Ronald E. Anderson (PhD, Stanford University, 1970) and family in 2012. Additional material was acquired in 2020.

Physical location:

Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Places:

China -- Pictorial works

Restrictions:

Boxes 1-4 may not be used without permission of the Archivist; there is digitized content from this collection available. The remainder of the collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Francis E. Stafford photographs, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:

Hoover Institution

Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University

Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US

Contact:

(650) 723-3563

hooverarchives@stanford.edu

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