Grant Steroscopic Slides of China, 1908-1915

Collection number: MC 396
Size: 4 boxes (1.00 cu.ft.)

About William A. Grant (1868-1954)

William A. Grant was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1868. He studied art at Cooper Union and learned engraving under the tutelage of Lewis Delnoce, one of the outstanding engravers of the day. Grant then became head of the engraving room at the American Bank Note Company. In 1908 he was invited to Beijing, China, in order to found the Chinese Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Until his retirement in 1928, Grant served as technical advisor to the Bureau, and designed and engraved many stamps for the Chinese government; he also trained several hundred Chinese in the art of steel engraving and printing. After his retirement, he moved to Contoocook, New Hampshire, where he died in 1954.

About the Grant Stereoscopic Slides of China (1908-1915)

The collection consists primarily of stereoscopic slides taken by Grant in and around Beijing, China, during the period 1908 to 1928. The slides, several of which were used by Grant to prepare postage stamps, include views of many famous Chinese landmarks, among them the Ming Tombs, the Summer Palace, and the Western Hills outside of Beijing, as well as Beijing street scenes, pictures of the military, and vignettes of the Grants’ home life. Also included are slides taken by Grant on hunting trips in China, during a visit to Hawaii in 1914, and at the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair.

Of particular interest is a picture of Grant’s 1908 Studebaker, said to be the first car in Beijing. This car, draped with American flags, was used by Grant to transport the young Chinese Emperor from his palace to the Japanese Legation at the height of the 1911 revolution, which resulted in the emperor’s overthrow and the formation of the Republic of China.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [folder], [box], Grant Stereoscopic Slides of China, 1908-1915, MC 396, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

March 18, 1986 (Accession number: 8571)

Collection Arrangement

This collection contains images which are sequentially numbered according to their format:

• Sepia photo prints are numbered 1-280;
• Glass negatives are numbered 1N-42N;
• Flexible negatives are numbered 1F-42F;
• B&W photo prints are numbered 1P-26P;
• Postcards are numbered 1PC-5PC;
• Items are numbered Item 1-Item 3.

Collection Contents

Series 1: Stereoscopic Slides

Note: Sepia toned slides are: #2; #29; #30; #32; #33; #37; #38; #71; #72; #74; #75; #76; #79; #93; #96; #100; #102; #110; #115; #119; #126; #127; #128; #129; #139; #145; #154; #163; #164; #165; #166; #171; #182; #183; #253; #260; #261; #262; #263; #265; #266; #273; and #277 (total: 43 slides). Green tinted slides are: #107; #244; and #245. Color slides are: #51; #206; and #237. These have been reproduced in B/W.

Subseries A: Positive Glass Images #1-280

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1	Travel 1914: Del - Deck boy costume
Box 1, Folder 4	Travel 1914: Japan - garden
Box 1, Folder 7	Travel 1914: Bringing on coal in Japan
Box 1, Folder 8	Travel 1914: Washington, D.C.
Box 1, Folder 9	Travel 1914: Del - Deck boy costume
Box 1, Folder 10	Travel 1914: China - travel 1914
Box 1, Folder 11	Travel 1914: Chinese junk
Box 1, Folder 12	Travel 1914: Freighter
Box 1, Folder 13	Travel 1914: Lisa Stillman & Del
Box 1, Folder 14	Travel 1914: Del & Mother
Box 1, Folder 15-18	Travel 1914: Unlabled
Box 1, Folder 19-21	Social: Unlabled
Box 1, Folder 22	Social: Ambassador Reinch
Box 1, Folder 23	Social: William Grant and Family
Box 1, Folder 26	Social: Golf in Peking 1914, Dad
Box 1, Folder 27-28	Social: Unlabled
Box 1, Folder 29-36	Our House; Peking 1908-1928; Friends: Unlabled (See also #lN-5N, 9N-11N, lF)
Box 1, Folder 37	Same as lN
Box 1, Folder 37-41	Our House; Peking 1908-1928; Friends: Unlabled (See also #lN-5N, 9N-11N, lF)
Box 1, Folder 42-50	Hawaii 1914: (Color slide)
Box 1, Folder 51	Hawaii 1914: (Color slide)
Box 1, Folder 52-69	San Francisco World's Fair 1915
Box 1, Folder 70	Bureau of Engraving, Peking: Same as 12N
Box 1, Folder 74	Bureau of Engraving, Peking: Same as 13N
Box 1, Folder 76	Bureau of Engraving, Peking: Same as 14N
Box 1, Folder 77-83	Bureau of Engraving, Peking: Unlabled
Box 1, Folder 84	Bureau of Engraving & Printing gateway, Sept. 1914. Peking, China
Box 1, Folder 85-90	Country Outside our Compound at Bureau, Peking, 1914: Untitled
Box 1, Folder 91	Country Outside our Compound at Bureau, Peking, China 1914
Box 1, Folder 92	S. West gate Chinese City, Peking, China, Sept.17, 1914
Box 1, Folder 93-94	Untitled
Box 1, Folder 95	Peking, China - making paper pulp, Sept. 17, 1914
Box 1, Folder 96-103	Untitled
Box 1, Folder 104	Country Outside our Compound at Bureau, Peking, 1914. (Two corners broken off)
Box 1, Folder 105-112	People - Peking 1914: Untitled
Box 1, Folder 113	People - Peking 1914: A woman feeding chickens [two corners broken off]
Box 1, Folder 114	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Crowd scene See also 25N-35N for this image and others following.
Box 1, Folder 115	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Street vendor - or laundry?
Box 1, Folder 116	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Village scene
Box 1, Folder 117	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Palace?
Box 1, Folder 118	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Street scene
Box 1, Folder 119	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Another village street scene
Box 1, Folder 120	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Man at work?
Box 1, Folder 121	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Partial view of a pagoda
Box 1, Folder 122	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: City wall, Peking
Box 1, Folder 123	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: View of a dwelling
Box 1, Folder 124	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: South-west gate Chinese City wall, Peking, Sept. 1914
Box 1, Folder 125	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Pagodas
Box 1, Folder 126	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Men eating
Box 1, Folder 127	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Street scene
Box 1, Folder 128	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: At the barber's
Box 1, Folder 129	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Children
Box 1, Folder 130	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Elderly Chinese woman walking in street
Box 1, Folder 131	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Large crowd outside the pagoda
Box 1, Folder 132	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: One of the gates to the city?
Box 1, Folder 133	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Young man wrapped in coat
Box 1, Folder 134	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Another street scene
Box 1, Folder 135	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Mrs. Grant, William's mother(?) amidst group
Box 1, Folder 136	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Grant's Studebaker (?) and curious onlookers in front of pagoda gate
Box 1, Folder 137	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Woman pushing perambulator down commercial street
Box 1, Folder 138	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Funeral
Box 1, Folder 139	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Military parade
Box 1, Folder 140	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Mrs. Grant, William's mother
Box 1, Folder 141	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Another street scene
Box 1, Folder 142	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Traffic
Box 1, Folder 143	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Man in hat in foreground, pagoda in background
Box 1, Folder 144	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Damming the river
Box 1, Folder 145	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: The road to the palace?
Box 1, Folder 146	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Rock formation
Box 1, Folder 147	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: A group of men carrying a big weight
Box 1, Folder 148	Street Scenes, Peking, 1914: Busy street scene
Box 1, Folder 149-154	Peking Gates and Walls
Box 1, Folder 155-160	Ching Hua University, Peking Exclusively for Chinese students, run by Chinese, but with many American teachers or U. S. Educated Chinese. The founding money was returned indemnity money for the damage done to Americans in Boxer Rebellion, 1901.
Box 1, Folder 161-169	Summer Palace, Peking. (See also 17N-24N, 6F-8F)
Box 2
Box 2, Folder 170-175	Summer Palace, Peking. (See also 17N-24N, 6F-8F)
Box 2, Folder 176	Summer Palace, Peking (Broken in half and mended with tape)
Box 2, Folder 177-186	Summer Palace, Peking. (See also 17N-24N, 6F-8F)
Box 2, Folder 187	Reviewing troops Pei Hai (North Lake) Legation Quarter, American, Dutch, French, British, Japanese, Italian, Etc.
Box 2, Folder 188	Reviewing troops
Box 2, Folder 189	Reviewing troops
Box 2, Folder 190	Reviewing troops
Box 2, Folder 191	Reviewing troops
Box 2, Folder 192	Pei Hai North Lake
Box 2, Folder 193	Pei Hai North Lake, view from distance
Box 2, Folder 194	Pei Hai Stupa N. Lake
Box 2, Folder 195	Legation Quarter 1914
Box 2, Folder 196	American Legation 1914 Peking
Box 2, Folder 197	Legation Quarter Peking 1914
Box 2, Folder 198	Outside the legation?
Box 2, Folder 199	Tung Chou School
Box 2, Folder 200	Airplane in Peking 1914
Box 2, Folder 201	Methodist Mission in Peking
Box 2, Folder 203	1914 Western Hills, Peking 202-205 (See also 36N-41N)
Box 2, Folder 206	Pei Ta Ho, North Big Water, Seashore (Big Water is Pacific Ocean) #206-238 (See also #42N): (Color glass slide)
Box 2, Folder 207-223	Untitled
Box 2, Folder 224	Bathing Suits in 1914!
Box 2, Folder 225	Pei Ta Ho Baker's seashore house
Box 2, Folder 226	Bathing Suits - Del
Box 2, Folder 228	Seashore
Box 2, Folder 229-236	Untitled
Box 2, Folder 237	2 women outside of the beach house(Color slide, one corner broken and mended with tape)
Box 2, Folder 238-248	Ming Tombs
Box 2, Folder 249-252	Shausi Hunting Trip, China 1915 #249-280 (See also 38F-42F)
Box 2, Folder 253	Shausi Hunting Trip, China 1915 (One corner broken)
Box 2, Folder 254-280	Shausi Hunting Trip, China 1915

Subseries B: Negative Glass Images #1N-42N.

ID numbers followed by "N" designate glass negative format.

Box 2, Folder lN-5N	Family, Peking. (See also #29-41,9N-llN, lF)
	Print (No other identification)	6N-8N
Box 2, Folder 9N	Studebaker of W. A. Grant, 1st car in Peking, 1914
Box 2, Folder 10N	Mrs. W. A. Grant in the country outside of Bureau of Engraving, Pai Chih Fang
Box 2, Folder 11N	Memorial Arch - entrance of an avenue at Ming Tombs
Box 2, Folder 12N	Bureau of Engraving, Peking (Same as #74)
Box 2, Folder 13N	Bureau of Engraving, Peking (Same as #75)
Box 2, Folder 14N	Bureau of Engraving, Peking (Same as #76)
Box 2, Folder 17N-24N	Summer Palace, Peking
Box 2, Folder 25N-35N	Peking Street Scenes (See also #114-148)
Box 2, Folder 36N-41N	Western Hills, Peking (Western Hills Race Course) (See also #202-205)
Box 2, Folder 42N	Pei Ta Ho (North Big Water) Seashore (See also #206-238)

Subseries C: Negative Flexible Images #1F-42F

ID numbers followed by an "F" designate flexible negatives.

Box 2, Folder 1F	Family, Peking (See also #29-41, lN-5N, 9N-llN)
Box 2, Folder 2F-5F	Negatives (No other identification)
Box 2, Folder 6F-8F	Summer Palace Peking (See also #161-186, 17N-24N)
Box 2, Folder 9F-36F	Unlabeled
Box 2, Folder 37F	Ming Tombs (See also #239-248)
Box 2, Folder 38F-42F	Shausi Hunting Trip, China. 1915. (See also #249-280)

Series 2: Photographs - B&W #1P-26P

Folder lP	Little boys, Peking (3 x 3.5)
Folder 2P	Llama Temple, outside north wall of Peking (3 x 4)
Folder 3P	A Temple Terrace in Western Hills, Peking (4.5 x 3.5)
Folder 4P	Cart for hire, outside Tartar Cith Wall, Peking (3.25 x 4)
Folder 5P	Bridge, Summer Palace, west of Peking (3 x 4)
Folder 6P	The ever curious and friendly Chinese when a foreigner appears, Peking (3 x 4)
Folder 7P	Home from the Fair! Candied crabapples on a stick, 1912, Peking (3.5 x 5.8)
Folder 8P	Sawing wood, Peking (3 x 5.25)
Folder 9P	Sawing wood (3 x 5.5)
Folder 10P	Camel train and soldiers, Peking (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 11P	Father and son (3 x 5)
Folder 12P	Ramp 15, the Tartar City Wall, Peking (5.5 x 3)
Folder 13P	Commemoration tablet, Peking (5.5 x 3)
Folder 14P	Emperor's reviewing stand at Imperial troops parade grounds near Summer Palace, west of Peking (5.5 x 3.25)
Folder 15P	Great Wall of China (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 16P	Winter scene, outside Peking City Wall (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 17P	(No caption) (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 18P	Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Peking, camel train from Western Hills resting (3 x 5.5)
Folder 19P	Horse shoeing, Peking (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 20P	Typical street scene, Peking (3 x 5.25)
Folder 21P	Sleds for hire on the frozen moat outside city wall, Peking (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 22P	Street traveling barber (3.5 x 5.5)
Folder 23P	Temple guardians, Peking (3.25 x 5.25)
Folder 24P	Temple guardians, Peking (5.5 x 3.25)
Folder 25P	Gateway into the Chinese City Wall, Peking (3.25 x 5.25)
Folder 26P	Peking cart, no springs! (3.5 x 5.5)

Series 3: Postcards #1PC - 5 PC (All are 3.5" x 5.5")

Box 3
Folder 1PC	S. J. Betines & Co. Photographic studio, Peking (Contains 2)
Folder 2PC	Ausfuhrung: Graphische Gesellschaft. Berlin SW (Contains 9)
Folder 3PC	Denniston & Sullivan, Serie 2, no. 24, 31, 121 (Contains 3)
Folder 4PC	Hans Bahlke, Peking (Contains 16)
Folder 5PC	Chas. F. Gammon Photo Series. No. 4-281 (Very incomplete, one unnumbered) (Contains 28)
Folder 6-7	Prints, copy negatives, contact sheets

Series 4: Three-dimensional Objects

Box 4
Item 1	Stereoscopic Viewer, Binocular type
Item 2	Polyscope, Brass and wood, Purpose: Unknown
Item 3	Stereoscopic Viewer, Box type, Wood with brass fittings, very fine