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Photos of The Summer Palace by Mei Li Photographic Studio, c. 1928-1937

I would like to share with you some fascinating old photos of the Summer Palace in Beijing, made and distributed by Mei Li Photograhpic Studio during the late 1920s or 1930s. We’ve acquired two separate sets of these. First one is a set of four framed hand-tinted panoramic shots measuring approx. 30×10 cm. Second set features 23 smaller black and white photos with typewritten English explanations on the back. Hope you’ll enjoy these as much as we did!


Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in The Temple of Heaven
Camel Back Bridge (Jade Belt Bridge)
Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiang Ge) overlooking Kunming Lake
Seventeen-Arch Bridge connecting the shore of the lake with Nanhu Island
Mei Li Photographic Studio Label
Mei Li Photographic Studio 美麗照相舘 original label on the back of the frames. Use of the name ‘Peiping’ dates these somewhere between 1928-1937, Republic period.
Second set of photographs came in this brown paper envelope titled 萬壽山, SUMMER PALACE, All With English Explanations
Summer Palace – Bronze Cow and Seventeen Arch Bridge
Summer Palace – Camel Back Bridge
Forbidden City – Throne in Reception Hall
Forbidden City – Throne in Pao Ho Hall
Summer Palace – Empress Dowager’s Garden
Summer Palace – Empress Dowager’s Celebration Hall
Summer Palace – Empress Dowager’s Fasting Quarter
Summer Palace – Bronze Temple
Summer Palace – Marble Tablet
Summer Palace – Pavilion on Marble Bridge
Forbidden City – Bronze Incense Burners
Summer Palace – The Arch
Forbidden City – General View

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