Illustrations of China and its People, John Thompson, First Edition. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1873–74.
You can view our first edition of Illustrations of China and its People here.
Presented by Ben Houston, Rare Books Specialist at Peter Harrington Rare Books.
4 volumes, folio. Original publisher’s half morocco, dark green pebbled cloth sides, covers with gilt titles and gilt vignettes of the Confucian Temple at Peking, spine gilt, edges gilt. With 218 photographic views and portraits by Thomson on 96 collotype plates, each with guard and leaf of descriptive text. Ownership signature of J. M. Walford to front free endpapers of first 2 volumes. A few marks to cloth, an excellent set.
First edition, the deluxe edition in a variant publisher’s binding. “My design in the accompanying work is to present a series of pictures of China and its people, such as shall convey an accurate impression of the country I traversed as well as of the arts, usages, and manners which prevail in different provinces of the Empire. With this intention I made the camera my constant companion of my wanderings, and to it I am indebted for the faithful reproduction of the scenes I visited, and of the types of races which I came into contact” (Thomson, introduction). “Between 1870 and 1872 he undertook four distinct journeys, up the north branch of the Pearl River, up the River Min to the area around Foochow (Fuzhou), to Peking (Beijing), and finally up the great Yangtze (Yangzi) River. The photographs taken on these journeys form one of the most extensive photographic surveys of any region taken in the nineteenth century. The range and depth of his photographic vision mark Thomson out as one of the most important travel photographers” (ODNB). The present volumes, published on his return to London in 1872, established his reputation as a photographer, traveller and authority on China.
The first two volumes were printed apparently in an edition of only 600 copies, a restricted run that was increased to 750 copies for volumes 3 and 4; the volumes were sold for £3 3s. each, a substantial amount at the time, which reflects the high standards of production.
