| Description | The Historical Photographs of China (HPC) Project was a University of Bristol project, directed by Professor Robert Bickers and initially based in the Department of History. Jamie Carstairs, who joined it in February 2006, managed the project, arranging the collection and return of materials and doing most of the digitisation, as well as adding and checking a great deal of the website metadata, and handling requests for publication. The project borrowed contributors’ photographs taken in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, mostly between the 1850s and 1950s (with some from later decades), often in albums which were generally family heirlooms. The individual photographs in albums were digitised, along with whole pages of albums, and the physical material usually returned to its owners. By licence agreement with owners, digital images were added to the project’s fully searchable web site (https://hpcbristol.net/). The project also digitised photographs held in archives and museums, such as the National Archives, Special Collections SOAS, and the Cadbury Research Library.
From 2007, the HPC project was recognised by the British Academy as an Academy Research Project. As well as the platform, the project initiated its own public exhibitions, and collaborated with partners on others, in the UK, China and Spain. In 2012, BBC Radio 4 broadcast 'Old Photographs Fever – The Search for China’s Pictured Past' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kkntb). Nearly 25,000 images have been published (as of October 2024), along with associated metadata, on the Historical Photographs of China website (https://hpcbristol.net/). The HPC project ended in April 2021 and its digital and physical holdings were transferred to Special Collections. The HPC website and the blog site 'Visualising China' (https://visualisingchina.net/blog/) remain active.
The project involved extensive collaboration with colleagues at the Digital Humanities Research Center at the Institute of History & Philology, Academia Sinica; University of Lincoln; the Institut d’Asie Orientale, Lyon and TGE-Adonis; and support from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation, the British Academy, the Swire Charitable Trusts, John Swire & Sons Ltd., AHRC, JISC and the WUN. The current platform was built by Research IT at the University of Bristol. A mirror site is hosted in China by Shanghai Jiaotong University (https://www.hpcbristol.sjtu.edu.cn/).
Over 62,000 high-resolution digital images (tiff format) – of photographs, negatives, 35mm transparencies (slides), magic lantern slides and post cards digitised by the HPC project – are now held by Special Collections. Low-resolution jpegs made from these tiffs are also held. Historical Photographs of China digital image collections were usually named after the collections’ original compilers or the owners of the original physical collections. In addition to the digital images, Special Collections also hold photograph albums, loose prints, negatives, slides, books, cameras and ephemera, donated to, or acquired by, the HPC project, between 2006 and 2021.
The Historical Photographs of China collections are listed below, with the relevant Special Collections DM archival reference in square brackets if the physical material is held by Special Collections. In this list, the collection names are sorted alphabetically.
A
Abe Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: KA)
Alejandro Acin Collection [DM2817] (Digitised)
Julius Amschel Collection [DM3112] (Not digitised)
Colin Andrew Collection [DM2818] (Digitised)
Augustus Anthony Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: An)
John Arber Collection [DM2985] (Digitised)
William Armstrong Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ar)
George Atchison Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: GA)
Leslie Ayre Collection (Digitised)
B
Ernest Baggs Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: EB)
Banister Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ba)
Oliver Barnham Collection (Digitised)
Leslie Bauld Collection [DM2866] (Digitised)
Arthur Bayley Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: AB)
Charles Beale Collection [DM2819] (Digitised)
Florence Beales Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: FB)
Pearl Bertch Collection [DM2820] (Only the album pages were digitised)
Stella Bills Collection (Digitised)
Kenneth Bonner Collection [DM2821] (Not digitised)
Arthur Bonsey Collection (Digitised)
Edward Bowra Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Bo)
British Steel Archive Project Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: BS)
C
Cadbury Research Library Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: CM)
Cameron Family Collection (Digitised)
John Cameron Collection [DM2822] (Not digitised)
Gordon Campbell Collection (Digitised)
Frederick Carey Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: FC)
Carrall Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, Ca)
Jamie Carstairs Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: JC)
Joyce Chatterton Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ch)
Anthony Clark Collection [DM2986] (Digitised)
Walter Clennell Collection (Digitised)
William Cooper Collection [DM2823] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: WC)
Albert Cornwall Collection [DM2824] (Not digitised)
Cottrell Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Co)
Thomas Crellin Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: DC)
John Crowley Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Cr)
Customs Service Staff Collection (Digitised)
D
Charles Darwent Collection [DM3229/2] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Da)
Francis Davidson Collection [DM2825] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: RD)
James Dearden Holmes Collection (Digitised)
Helen Dhoot Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: HD)
John DiBlasi Collection [DM3201] (Digitised)
Edward Bangs Drew Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hv)
Leo Dudeney Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: LD)
Fred Dunne Collection [DM2826] (Digitised)
E
Ernest Edinger Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ed)
Sidney Edwards Collection (Digitised)
Elliott Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: El)
Jack Ephgrave Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ep)
David Evans Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ev)
F
Arthur Fiddament Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: RB)
John Gurney Fry Collection [DM2887] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Fr)
Fu Bingchang Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Fu)
Martin Funnell Collection [DM3108] (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: MF)
G
Berkeley Gage Collection [DM2827] (Not digitised)
Geoffrey Gawler Collection (Digitised)
Glasgow Police Heritage Society Collection (Digitised)
William Grant Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: WG)
Alice Green Collection [DM2988] (Digitised)
Arthur Greenwood Collection (Digitised)
H
F. Hagger Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: FH)
Leo Handley-Derry Collection [DM2828] (Digitised)
Lucy Harris Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: LH)
Geoffrey Havilland Collection [DM2989] (Digitised)
Hayward Family Collection [DM3229/1] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hy)
Tita and Gerry Hayward Collection [DM2830] (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ha)
Reginald Hedgeland Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: He)
James Helbling Collection [DM2829] (Digitised)
David Marr Henderson Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: DH)
Hillier Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hi)
‘Hilly Hong Kong’ [DM3187] (Digitised)
HMS Suffolk Collection [DM3110] (Not digitised)
Felix Hookham Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hh)
Thomas Hughes Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hu)
Oliver Hulme Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: OH)
Hummel Family Collection [DM3210] (Not digitised)
Basil Hunting (Harleston) Collection [DM3109] (Not digitised)
Hutchinson Family Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hn)
Leslie Hutton Collection (Digitised)
George Hutton Potts Collection [DM2831] (Mostly not digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Po)
I
Images from Books Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Bk)
J
Eric Jacobs-Larkcom Collection (Digitised)
Thomas Johns Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Jo)
George Johnson Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref:GJ)
George Noel Johnston Collection [DM2832] (Not digitised)
K
Paul Kaye Collection [DM2990] (Not digitised)
Kelsey Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: SB)
Robert Kennedy Collection [DM2991] (Digitised)
Kiki de Chaffoy Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: KC)
Edward Kingsbury Collection (Digitised)
Cecil Kirke Collection (Digitised)
John (Jack) Kitto Collection (Digitised)
Nicholas Kitto Treaty Port Image Collection [DM3051] (Digitised)
W.J.C. Kitto Collection (Digitised)
Peter Klein Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: PK)
Kliene Family Collection (Digitised)
Ronald Knapp Collection [DM2992] (Not digitised)
Knight Family Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Kn)
King’s Own Scottish Borderers Collection (Digitised)
L
Archibald Lang Collection [DM2833] (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: AL)
Joy Larkcom Collection [DM3195] (Digitised)
Michael Lindsay Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: ML)
Liu Haiyan Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Li)
Oliver Lockhart Collection (Digitised)
Helena Lopes Collection (Digitised)
Billie Love Historical Collection [DM3285] (Digitised. Most of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: BL)
John Lyle Collection [DM2993] (Not digitised)
M
Arthur Martin Collection [DM2994] (Digitised)
John Masson Collection (Digitised)
Maxwell Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Mx)
Hedley Mellor Collection (Digitised)
Penny Mellor Collection [DM2834] (Not digitised)
Miscellaneous Collection [DM2835] (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, refs: BH, Bi, Di, HC, MB, MC, Ri, SJ, SR, YC)
Eleanor Mitchell Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Mi)
John Montgomery Collection [DM2836] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: JM)
Hedda Morrison Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hv)
Ian and Rachel Morrison Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Mo)
James Morrison Collection (Digitised)
N
National Archives Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: NA)
Lesley Northup Collection [DM2837] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: LN)
O
John Oswald Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Os)
P
P.A. Crush Chinese Railway Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: PC)
Attwell Palmer Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Pa)
Panoramic photograph of Shanghai Bund [DM3228] (Not digitised)
Pardoe Family Collection (Digitised)
Herbert Payne Collection (Digitised)
Harold Peck Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Pe)
Robert Peck Collection [DM2838] (Not digitised)
Ann Phipps Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ph)
Rev. Claude Pickens Jr. Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Hv)
Emerita Pilgrim Collection (Digitised)
Pirkis Family Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: PF)
Cornell Plant Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: CP)
Charles Powell Collection [DM2839] (Digitised)
R
Richard Family Collection [DM2840] (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, refs: EH and FD)
Gordon Richards Collection [DM2841] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: SR)
Edward Rigby Collection (Digitised)
Malcolm Rosholt Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ro)
Cyril Ross Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Rs)
Royal Asiatic Society Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: RA)
Royal Hampshire Regiment Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: RH)
Henry Rue Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: HR)
Ruxton Family Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ru)
S
Ranjit Singh Sanga Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Jn)
William Sangster Collection [DM2995] (Digitised)
Brian Schara Collection (Digitised)
John Shackford Collection (Digitised)
Shaji Massacre 1925 Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Sh)
John Sinton Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Si)
Smedley Howell Family Collection (Digitised)
Sydney Smith Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: LP)
Stanfield Family Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: JS)
William Stanton Collection (Digitised)
James Steen Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Sn)
Dennis Stevens Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: St)
Arthur Stiles Collection [DM2996] (Digitised)
Leonard Street Collection [DM2842] (Digitised)
John Sullivan Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Su)
G. Warren Swire Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Sw)
T
George Tarr Collection (Digitised)
Edgar Taylor Collection [DM1973] (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Ta)
John Thompson Collection (Digitised)
Tianjin Post Cards Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Gr)
Maurice Tinkler Collection [DM2997] (Digitised)
Forbes Scott Tocher Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: To)
Charles Todd Collection (Digitised)
Tours Family Collection (Digitised)
Frank Tovey Collection [DM2843] (Digitised)
George Trobridge Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Tr)
U
University of Bristol Library Collection [DM2520] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: UB)
V
Vacher Hilditch Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: VH)
Leon Verbert Collection (Digitised)
Gilbert Vinden Collection (Digitised. A selection of these images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: GV)
W
Barney Wall Collection [DM2844] (Digitised)
Mark Walport Collection (Digitised)
Warship Row, Shanghai, 1937 [DM3113] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: UB)
Angela West Collection [DM3111] (Not digitised)
Charles Wheeler Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Wr)
Cyril Whitaker Collection [DM2845] (Digitised)
Richard Whiteside Collection (Digitised)
Edward Wilkinson Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Wi)
Jim Williams Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: JW)
Stephen Wood Collection (Digitised)
Albert Worwood Collection (Digitised)
Stanley Wyatt-Smith Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: WS)
Y
Yangtse Corporation Collection [DM2998] (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: YC)
Sir Cyril Young Collection [DM2846] (Digitised)
Stewart Young Collection (Digitised. These images are on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: Yo)
Z
Zhao mausoleum, Shenyang [DM3131] (Digitised. This image is on the Historical Photographs of China website, ref: UB).
Related material:
DM2510: ‘International Institute for Asian Studies’ journal, no 46 (2008), includes a supplement about the Historical Photographs of China project.
DM3107: Books relating to Historical Photographs of China collections. |