Shanghai Bund

[Shanghai], 1893. Accordion. Very good. A panorama of the Shanghai Bund, the waterfront area within the former Shanghai International Settlement. Many of the buildings originally served as offices and trading houses from the many countries then allowed to trade with China: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, and more.

Kung Tai (Tuck Tai, Gong Tai) photographed this waterfront area as it was changing and growing. There are different versions of his album offered online as customers could choose various pictures to be included in "their" album. This example contains eight albumen prints on the rectos (versos all blank) and was apparently owned by someone who lived in the area - one of the pencil notations (the fourth panel) states "In background see am consulate flag, We live next door".

This album appears to be dated prior to 1893; another pencil notation (same panel) states "Custom House about to be rebuilt". A date as early as 1890 is probable given another pencil annotation (third panel) which states "Russell & Co., American house, lately failed". Per Wiki, Russell & Co. began encountering financial difficulties in the 1870s, and "in 1877 they [Russell & Co.] were acquired by the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company alongside their waterfront properties. Facing further financial difficulties, the company devolved into Shewan & Company in 1891." There was a prior attempt to date the album; at the top of the first panel is written "CA 1882 (?)" which may be too early.

The notations beneath each panel include: panel one, "Chinese City & Suburbs of Shanghai", "Tugboats", "One of the Yangtze River steamers which run to Hankow", and "China Merchant Co's Wharves, Steamers, & Ware houses"; panel two, "French Settlement" (written above the photograph) and "French mail steamer" (written below); panel three, "English Club House", "Russell & Co., American house, lately failed", and "English Gunboat"; straddling panels three and four, "Hong Kong & Shanghai bank"; panel four, "Customs House, about to be rebuilt", "Char...(?) Mercantile Bank", "In background, see am Consulate flag, We live next door", and "Central Hotel"; panel five, "Water works tower" and "Public gardens"; straddling panels five and six, "German (?) Consulate"; panel six, "The house we move into next month - Sept" (the writing is difficult, this is our best assessment), and "Japan Co.'s wharves & ware houses"; panel seven contains no notation; and panel eight contains only "English mail steamer" and "German mail steamer".

___DESCRIPTION: Eight albumen prints mounted onto heavy cardboard and bound concertina-style between two boards covered with blue pebbled cloth and with red leather in the style of a half-leather binding, a red leather label mounted onto the front board with a decorative gilt border and in gilt "Shanghai Bund (straight rule) Kung Tai. Photographer.", pencil annotations throughout as described above; oblong quarto size (10 7/8" wide by 8 7/8" tall), containing only the eight albument prints. Housed in a new custom clamshell box to match, with blue cloth boards and outer edges and quarter red leather, the title and photographer in gilt lettering on the spine, the inside lined with archival ivory paper.

___CONDITION: Very good overall: the boards are firmly attached with overall light wear and some soil, the panels still firmly attached although a few are just beginning to separate, some lightening to the vertical margins (perhaps caused by offsetting from the adhesive tape on the versos used for binding), the albumen prints overall in very good condition with one (panel two) having an old vertical tear which (sadly) had been "mended" with tape by a prior owner, we had a professional (name available upon request) remove that old tape and clean both the recto and verso, with new japanese tape now on the verso and some very light infilling done on the photograph. The new custom box is fine. A fascinating glimpse into the Shanghai Bund of well over a century ago.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: CNMG01)