Tianjin is one of the most important cities in northern China and a gate to the nation s capital. To some extent, Tianjin in the history of pre-modern China is a microcosm of Chinese society at that time. After the first Opium War in 1840, the Western powers accelerated their incursion and plunder of China. During the second Opium War, the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign the Treaty of Tianjin with Great Britain, France, and the United States of America. In 1860, it was again forced to sign the Treaty of Beijing with Great Britain, France, and Russia. According to these treaties, Tianjin was designated as a trade port, paving the way for the Western powers to economically exploit Tianjin and China as a whole.

A Pictorial Record of the Qing Dynasty - Business Documents, compiled by the Tianjin Municipal Archives, is a marvelous catalogue of various business documents. It contains full-color photographs with informative description, including names of business firms and registration dates. This one volume is the first of the four titles in the Pictorial Record of the Qing Dynasty series, covering trademarks, business firm seals, contracts, bills, stamps, etc. from the mid-19th century through 1911. This book makes invaluable reference for historical study on business documents during the Qing Dynasty.

KEY FEATURES

- Business Document, the first book of A Pictorial Record of the Qing Dynasty series. Other three books are titled as Rivers and Sites , Manchurian Railway , and Old Manchu Capital respectively.

- Organized around four topics: Registered Trademarks and Business Firm Seals, Passes, Contracts and Bills, and Postal Services.

- Photographs of over 500 business documents dated from 1861 1911, consisting of trademarks, postage stamps, passes, contracts, bills, and other kinds of records.

- Original images and full color