The Boxer Rebellion Project
I was an elementary school aged boy (1970’s) when I was gifted a box of old negatives and a few artifacts from a military conflict on the other side of the world that few knew about, let alone understood. The story told to me at that time, repeated occasionally through the years and as best as I can recall, was that these objects were the possessions of a man that my grandmother was a companion of. He was quite a bit older than her apparently and his name, although perhaps known at that time, is forgotten now. Whether these items were from his involvement in the conflict or not (they may have been from a relative or friend) is irrelevant now.
It’s a curious twist of fate that the little boy in possession of this gift would keep the objects in good condition and eventually become a photographer.
You’re in good company if you know little about the Boxer Rebellion. Here’s a primer from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_Rebellion
Below are some of the images I was gifted. Most are scans of negatives (stored in the original Kodak negative wallet). Some are scans of colorized prints that were made at the time. Some are fully restored and some will be original, to show the condition most are in.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions, information or requests!
Enjoy!
A boy juggles in front of the troops. A calvary solder looks over his shoulder to see the entertainment.
Three young girls sit for a portrait. Foot binding is seen.
A mistral and his son walk in front of a brick building. The boy looks back at a soldier.
A woman poses with her family in front of a brick building.
A rickshaw operator poses with his fare, which appears to be an officer.
Chinese protesters hold flags and banners while walking the street.
An elderly Chinese man with two young children. A scan from a colorized print.
A large square building of classic Chinese architecture style.
US Army transport ship Logan in port.
Two officers, likely from India pose for a portrait.
Firemen work to extinguish a fire that seems to be off-frame. A soldier looks on the activity.
Three men are looking at large portable and ornate shrines.
