(Lai Afong, China, Canton, Hong Kong, Singapore, Asia.) Thre...

Hammer

£5,500

(Lai Afong, China, Canton, Hong Kong, Singapore, Asia.) Three large photograph albums containing 145+ albumen and other photographs c.1870's/1880's of Canton, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan etc., the vast majority of the photographs mounted to card leaves of albums, many of the images larger format (approx. size 20 x 25cm), including approx. 24 mounted images of Canton (now Guangzhou, some attributed to Lai Afong (c.1838-1890), including 'Flower Pagoda, Canton.', albumen view c. 1870's of the Flower Pagoda, also known as the Flowery Pagoda, part of the Temple of Six Banyan Trees, the pagoda is in a state of disrepair, with wild plants growing from its different stories, three people can be seen sitting in the foreground, image approx size 21 x 27cm, with original printed caption/description (loose), and a contemporary small mounted manuscript description below; 'Canton. Pagoda.', albumen view c.1873, five story pagoda built on the walls of the city, Koon-yan-sum mountains in distance. The Zhenhai Tower, also known as the Five-Story Pagoda, now houses the Guangzhou Museum in the center of the megalopolis. It was built in 1380, in the early Ming Dynasty, by the marquis of Yongjia Zhu Liangzu. Image approx size 19 x 26cm, with original printed caption/description (loose), and a contemporary small mounted manuscript description below; 'Pazhou Pagoda.', albumen view c.1873, depicting Pazhou Pagoda, also known as Whampoa Pagoda, Canton. Work on the Whampoa Pagoda began in 1597 and construction was completed in 1600. The pagoda is located on a hill on the southern bank of the Pearl River. Although it was built as a Buddhist landmark, it was also a useful navigation point for merchant ships heading to Guangzhou. Image approx. size 19 x 27cm; 'Pleasure Boat, Canton.', albumen view c.1870's, with loose printed caption "No. 262.-Pleasure Boat, Canton. These are called flower Boats and are used by pleasure parties they derive their name of flower from their being decorated with them when used by picnic parties, the views was taken on the Canton river.", image approx size 17 x 25.5cm; 'Flower Pagoda, Canton.', another albumen view of the Flower Pagoda, or Flowery Pagoda, c.1880, depicting pagoda in recently restored state, with loose printed caption "No.288.-Flower Pagoda, Canton. The Pagoda that bears this Euphonious name is inside the city walls and has been recently restored from its former state of decay. These places of worship are not confined to towns and villages but are built broadcast throughout the Empire. Solitary fields and roadsides are provided with them, as well as wooded knolls and barren mountain peaks. Some of the ancient ones are very picturesque, and a Chinese landscape seems to be incomplete without one.", image approx size 18 x 26cm; 'The Examination Halls in Canton.', albumen view, c.1873, image approx size 16.5 x 25cm, with loose original printed caption; 'Interior of the Temple of Five Hundred Genii in Canton.', albumen view c.1880's, image approx size 19 x 26cm, with orig. loose printed caption; panorama of Canton from Shameen and depicting Smith, Archer & Co. premises, albumen view, c.1869, approx. size 21 x 52cm; other images of Canton (some possibly by Lai Afong), including steamer Kin-Shan in Canton, c.1870's, approx. 18 x 27.5cm; view of harbour with orig. loose printed caption "Canton. Another View of Whampoa. On both sides of the River is Whampoa-the buildings next to the Derrick are the Offices of the Whampoa Dock Co.-the small Boats are Floating Dwellings.", approx size 18 x 27cm; plus approx. 16 images Hong Kong, including albumen by Lai Afong "No 350 - Ting-Wong, or Guardians of the Portal", c.1880, depicting Doorkeepers (Dvrapla), Buddhist temple, Hong Kong, approx. 19 x 23.5cm, plus 16 others Hong Kong, all larger format, many captioned, 2 images Macao, 3 French Indochina (Vietnam), including View of European shipping on the Saigon river, by T. Child, F. Beato and Charles E. Watkins, albumen print, c.1870's, approx. 18.5 x 29.5cm, another Saigon from river + 1 other; 16 images Hong Kong, majority approx size 21 x 27cm including harbour, "Hong Kong or the Lyee Mun Pass from Victoria Gap"; "Hong Kong or the Kowloon Peninsula from Victoria Gap"; Victoria Peak; Mount Kellet; "Douglas Castle & Pok-fo-lum Reservoir"; "Aberdeen & Repulse Bay. Ladrone Islands in distance"; "Sir G. Philippo's bungalow. Military Sanatarium in distance"; "2nd Battn. "The Buffs" on parade Hong Kong 1885"; Happy Valley, etc; 2 images Macao, both approx 21 x 28cm, including ruins of cathedral wall; 4 images Singapore approx. 15 x 26cm-19.5 x 26cm, including Malay village nr. Tanjong Pagar, Singapore; Government House, Fort Canning; Officers Quarters, Fort Canning; view of Singapore from Fort Canning; 84 images in total of Japan, of which 39 images in one album being albumen views temples, pagoda's etc in Kyoto, Otsu, Katsuragawa Rapids, Dai Butsu, Kamakura, etc., these all approx. 20 x 27cm; 45 hand tinted images of Japan in another album, of which 14 larger format (approx. 19 x 26cm) including paddy fields, rice winnowing and grinding, Osaka castle moat, Kyoto, Nara etc, and 30 smaller format images (approx. 9 x 13cm) showing various trades/people studies, including wrestlers, Samurai, musicians, actors, clothes drying, weaving, tatooed Betto/Irezumi (groom), tobacco shredding, hairdressing, clerk, charcoal seller etc; plus remaining approx. 24 larger format (app. 20 x 27cm) albumen views Ceylon (Sri Lanka), including Colombo, Colombo Kandy railway mountain passes, Badulla, near Newera Ellia, Rambodde, Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Adams Peak, Point de Galle, road near Galle, etc, Suez canal incl. Port Said, H.M.S. Serapus, curve near Chalouf, Khedives chalet near Ismailia etc, plus 2 images Aden; each album folio (37.5 x 26.5cm), contemporary half calf gilt (3)