U.S. Military in China Photo Archive of the Boxer Rebellion and the China Relief Expedition 1899 to 1901

Boxer Rebellion US Military

Photograph

Boxer Rebellion photographs dating from the turn of the twentieth century document the military intervention of the Eight Nation Alliance during the uprising known in Western sources as the Boxer Rebellion. The conflict developed between 1899 and 1901 when the Chinese Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists mobilized against foreign influence, missionaries, and imperial encroachment during the final years of the Qing Dynasty. In response to attacks on foreign residents and diplomatic compounds, an international coalition including the United States, Britain, Germany, Russia, and Japan deployed military forces to northern China. American troops participating in the campaign formed part of the United States China Relief Expedition, which included elements of the 9th and 14th Infantry Regiments, the 6th Cavalry Regiment, the 5th Artillery Regiment, and a battalion of United States Marines.

Archive contains fifteen original photographs consisting of seven silver gelatin prints and eight stereoview photographs measuring approximately 2.75 × 4 inches to 3 × 7 inches. The images depict scenes associated with the presence of foreign troops in northern China during the conflict. Several photographs show American and German forces establishing encampments and marching in formation in preparation for operations around Tianjin. One stereoview shows mounted soldiers of the Sixth U.S. Cavalry accompanied by a caption describing their participation in the campaign. Another photograph records Russian soldiers demolishing rural Chinese houses to prevent insurgents from using them as shelter. Additional images show American soldiers posing beside Chinese civilians and children, as well as Chinese laborers transporting goods with wheelbarrows and other traditional equipment. Some photographs depict locations connected with foreign administrative or logistical activity, including a scene showing Chinese laborers gathered near an American quartermaster building flying the United States flag. Several captions attached to the photographs contain commentary reflecting contemporary Western attitudes toward Chinese society and the conflict.

The photographs document the broader military intervention that followed the siege of foreign legations in Beijing and the major battles fought near Tianjin during the summer of 1900. Allied forces eventually advanced to Beijing, leading to the suppression of the uprising and the signing of the Boxer Protocol in 1901, which imposed a large indemnity on the Qing government and permitted the stationing of foreign troops in the capital. The conflict formed part of the wider pattern of imperial intervention in China during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and contributed to political instability that ultimately preceded the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Photographs show light age wear consistent with early photographic prints while remaining clear and well preserved. Very good condition overall and a documentary visual record of the Boxer Rebellion and foreign military intervention in China.

Item #21062

Price: $850.00