Beschreibung:

China. A collection of over 160 celluloid film negatives, c. 1900-25, the images showing scenes in Shanghai, Peking, Kalgan, Nank’ou, Tsingtao, Manchuria, Kaiyna, Koyang, etc., negatives 9.5 x 12 cm, plus numerous duplicates, many contained in four negative wallets, plus some loose ‘miscellaneous’ negatives in envelopes, wallets with pencil partial index captions (and some later indexing on separate sheets), together with a small related group of mostly small format gelatin silver print photographs, many with brief annotations to versos (Quantity: approx. 200) The photographs were taken between 1900 and 1925 by Niels Poulsen when he worked for various firms, including Liddell's, while engaged mainly in the wool trade which took him all over North China. Niels Poulson was born in 1880 in Shanghai, China, of Danish parents. His father Carl Poulson originally arrived in China in 1871 working for the Great Northern Telegraph Company and was invited by the Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang (1823-1901) – for a portrait of Li see lot 54 – to open a school of telegraphy in Tientsin (Tianjin) where the family settled and where Niels grew up. After leaving school Niels spent some time in Manchuria, but was in Tientsin during the time of the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). Subsequently, he spent most of his time in North China until 1926 where he moved to Shanghai. Niels was well-known in the country north of the Yangtse river. He had been regarded as the best gentleman rider in North China, having won numerous horse racing trophies. It is understood that Niels aided Li by undertaking confidential missions in Chinese disguise. The National Army Museum in Chelsea holds a collection of six photographs relating to the service of Niels Poulsen, recruitment manager of the Chinese Labour Corps in Shantung (now Shandong) Province c. 1914-1923; and to the service of Lt. Rev. Frank Harmon as a missionary and interpreter in Manchuria, Peking and France, c. 1900-1918.