Morris China: Modern China in the Eyes of Morley (Complete Three Volumes)

Author: Shen Jiwei Dou Kun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: This book is a large-scale pictorial collection, featuring over 500 previously unpublished old photographs from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, selected from the Morley Collection at the State Library of New South Wales, Australia. Morley (1862-1920), an Australian, served as the chief correspondent for The Times in China (1897-1912) and later as the political advisor to the President of the Republic of China (1912-1920). He resided in Beijing for over 20 years and witnessed a series of major historical events in modern China. His extensive reports, dispatches, and diaries became crucial materials for studying this period of Chinese history. He left behind approximately 3,000 photographs. The historical painter Shen Jiwei, who lived in Australia, carefully selected the main portion of these images and provided necessary annotations. This pictorial album is divided into three volumes: Morley in Beijing, War and Turmoil at the Turn of the Century, and Witness to Change. It covers topics such as the Boxer Rebellion, the modernization of China in the early 20th century, folk customs of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Morley's friendship with Chinese servants, and Morley's interactions with foreigners in China during the late Qing and early Republic periods. In addition to old photographs, the editors have also selected a few artifact photographs, such as Sun Yat-sen's banknotes printed in 1906, postcards with the Republic of China stamp on them from the Da Qing stamps, and red calling cards of figures like Li Hongzhang and Gu Hongming. This book provides an intuitive visual resource that historical researchers and enthusiasts cannot obtain from textual historical documents, making it suitable as a reference tool for professional and amateur researchers, as well as for various libraries and liberal arts institutions.