A Collection of Precious Imperial Palace Portraits.

Author: Xu Qixian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1995-05-01
Features: Among the vast collection of portrait photographs in the Palace Museum, in addition to those of late Qing figures and the abdicated emperor Puyi and other individuals who lived in the Forbidden City during the late Qing period, there are also a batch of photographs taken when Puyi resided in Zhangyuan and Jingyuan in Tianjin, as well as some portraits of figures from the Republican era and early photographs of the Palace Museum. Additionally, photographs of the Eight-Nation Alliance's occupation of Beijing, late Qing-style military units, and flood victims during the late Qing period are preserved, all of which contain many rare historical moments. For example, in 1924, when the Indian poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore visited China, he met Puyi in the Forbidden City and took a group photo in front of the Four Deities Pavilion in the Imperial Garden. Later, he took another group photo with twelve others, including the poet Lin Huiyin, Xu Zhimo, and then-Prime Minister Yan Huiqing of the Republic of China, at the home of Sir Charles Henry Steward in Jingshan. Furthermore, photographs of Zhang Xueliang, Yu Fangzhi, and their American friend John A. S. Donald visiting the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City are also extremely valuable. These photographs hold great historical significance for the study of modern Chinese history, palace history, cultural history, social history, and the history of imperialist aggression in China. We hope that the publication of this book, A Collection of Portrait Photographs from the Palace Museum, will meet the diverse needs of historians and enthusiasts at various levels and from different perspectives. Any shortcomings or errors in the selection of this book are kindly requested to be pointed out by the readers.