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Photograph Album of Canton
2010.R.3
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution: Special Collections
Title: Photograph album of Canton
Creator: Lai, Fong, approximately 1839-1890
Identifier/Call Number: 2010.R.3
Physical Description: 1.5 Linear Feet(28 photographs in 1 album)
Date (inclusive): 1870s
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Abstract: The disbound album of 28 albumen photographs of Canton (Guangzhou), China and surrounding areas comprises a mix of Chinese
scenes (temples, gardens, tea houses, rice fields) and images related specifically to the European community in Canton and
its activities.
Language of Material: Collection material is in English with some French.
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Library Reproductions and Permissions .
Photograph album of Canton, 1870s, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2010.R.3.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2010r3
Arranged in a single series:
Series I. Photograph album of Canton, 1870s.
The compiler of the album is unknown. was likely a European residing in Canton during the 1870s.
Scope and Content of Collection
The disbound album of 28 photographs of Canton (Guangzhou) and surrounding areas compiled by an unidentified person in the
1870s. Based on the content of the album the compiler was likely a European residing in Canton at that time. The photographs
comprise a mixture of Chinese scenes (temples, gardens, tea houses, rice fields), and images related specifically to the European
community in Canton (Fort Macao; the European Concession on Shamian; the English church). Photographs recording the European
community include three images taken at the Canton race course, two of which show the community gathered en masse; two group
photographs taken on picnics in the Canton area; and a scene from an amateur theatrical production. One photograph reproduces
a portrait painting or print of a young Chinese woman.
Two photographs are identified as being by Lai Fong and it is likely that he or his studio took a number of the images, as
his studio frequently documented the events and outings of the denizens of the Western settlements in the treaty ports.
The album has blue paper covers. Captions are written on the mounts below the images in two different hands. Twenty-four English
captions are written in pencil and four French captions are in ink. Two captions bear the date 1873. The image titles are
taken from the captions.
The finding aid was written by Beth Ann Guynn in 2020.
The collection was digitized circa 2010 and the images are available online:
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/2010r3
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired in 2010.
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photograph albums -- China -- 19th century
Albumen prints -- China -- 19th century
Photographs, Original.
Group portraits -- China -- 19th century
Europeans -- China
Guangzhou (China) -- Description and travel
Shamian (China) -- Description and travel