The punishments of China

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Collection History

Many 19th century plate books on customs and costume came to NYPL from the founding Lenox and Astor library holdings, as well as the personal library of benefactor Samuel J. Tilden. Many of the titles chosen for digitization show dress in the context of ethnicity or nationality. Related dress materials, such as accessories and body ornamentation, are also included.

Related Resources

See also the following digital collections for additional regional works: [Africana & Black History; Asia and the Pacific Rim in Early Prints and Photographs; The Luso-Hispanic New World in Early Prints and Photographs; After Columbus: Four-hundred Years of Native American Portraiture; and Icons and Images of Cultures: Plate Books from the Russian Empire, Early Soviet Russia, and Eastern Europe, 1730-1935]

- 9/23/2004

Collection Data

Names: Dadley, J. (Engraver); Mason, George Henry (Author); Miller, William, 1769-1844 (Publisher); McLean, T. (Thomas) (Publisher); Wilson, William, active 1811-1839 (Printer); W. Bulmer and Co. (Printer)
Dates / Origin: Date Issued: 1804; Place: London; Publisher: Printed for William Miller by William Bulmer and Co.
Library locations: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection; Shelf locator: 3-MMR+ (Mason, G. H. Punishments of China)
Topics: Punishment -- China; Torture -- China; Criminal justice, Administration of -- China; Costume -- China; China -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
Genres: Prints; Illustrations; Books; Pictorial works
Notes: Content: Published anonymously. Halkett (cited below) gives George Henry Mason as author; Mason's name is on title page of The costume of China, published by Miller in 1800. Mason, a British army officer, collected the drawings in Canton in 1789-1790, probably purchasing them from shops specializing in images for the export trade. Cf. preface to The costume of China; for detailed discussion, cf. The hypothetical mandarin / Eric Hayot. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2009, pages 50-94 (chapter 2, "The compassion trade").; Content: "Printed by W. Wilson, 4, Greville-Street, London"--Colophon.; Content: Originally published in 1801, with publisher information as above, except "W. Bulmer." "This is a late reprint, as is shown by the watermarks, of the 1804 edition [which named William Bulmer and Co. as printer on title page and in colophon] ... The text, but not the title-page, has been reset, and printed by Wilson instead of Bulmer ... It is likely that, despite the unaltered title-page ... [it] was in fact published by by Thomas M'Lean"--Abbey (cited below). Watermarks in Abbey copy: Text, 1818, J Whatman 1818; plates, J Whatman Turkey Mills 1819, J Whatman 1819, J Whatman 1820.; Version identification: Watermarks in NYPL copy: Text, 1816; 1818; 4 plates, Turkey Mills J Whatman 1819. NN; Version identification: Watermarks in HRC copy: Text leaves watermarked 1818; plates watermarked 1819. TxAuHRH; Statement of responsibility: Contains 22 full-page hand-colored stipple engravings by J. Dadley, each signed: "Engraved by Dadley, for W. Miller, Old Bond Strt., London, Jany. 1, 1801."; Content: Halkett cites the 1801 edition.; Language: English and French. Added title page, with title in French: Les punitions des Chinois : représentés en vingt-deux gravures : avec des explications en anglais et en français.; Citation/reference: Halkett, S. Dictionary of anonymous and pseudonymous English literature (1926-62 edition), volume 4, page 460; Citation/reference: Abbey, J.R. Travel in aquatint and lithography, 1770-1860, entry 532; Ownership: J.F. Selot (book label). NN
Physical Description: Extent: [54] pages, 22 leaves of plates : 22 hand-colored illustrations ; 37 cm (fol.); Stipple engravings; Hand coloring
Type of Resource: Still image
Identifiers: RLIN/OCLC: 3463456; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b13943556; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): f360c050-c6b8-012f-9734-58d385a7bc34