Amazing Colorized Postcards Capture Early 1900s China

Earlier this week the New York Library released a massive collection of 180,000 photos previously available only in its New York City locations. Among them was a set of rare colorized postcards from China in the early 1900s.

"Street Life in Peking." 1921. (Hartung's Photo Shop/New York Public Library)

"Comic Laughters." 1910-1919. (Mee Cheung/New York Public Library)

According to Asia Society:

The images — colorized from black and white photos though photocrom or handpainting processes — were developed by European publishers to be sold as postcards to foreign visitors. In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution marked the end of China's last imperial dynasty (the Qing) and began the Republican era, which lasted until the foundation of the People's Republic in 1949. Around this time, foreign tourists and long-term expatriates poured into the country. The surrounding context and precise date of many photos have been lost to time, so they are presented here only with their original title, publisher, and approximate year of origin.

"Farmer." 1910-1919. (Mee Cheung, Swatow/New York Public Library)

"Street Vendors, Peking." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)

"Chinese Saw Mill." 1913. (Chrom. Edit. Kingshill - Shanghai/New York Public Library)

"Hongkew Market, Shanghai." 1907-1918. (Young Photo Co. Nanking Road Shanghai-printed in Germany/New York Public Library)

"Chang Ji-Men, Outer City Wall, Peking." 1915-1930. (Librairie Francaise-Pekin-Chine/New York Public Library)

"Street in Peking." 1908. (New York Public Library)

"Shanghai, Nanking Road." 1907-1918. (Chrom. Edit. Kingshill - Shanghai/New York Public Library)

"Chinese Planting Rice." 1913. (Chrom. Edit. Kingshill - Shanghai/New York Public Library)

"A Chinese Tea and Cake Party." 1908. (M. Sternberg, Hongkong/New York Public Library)

"Transporting Tea in Chests for Export." 1910-1919. (New York Public Library)

"Barber in the Street, Shanghai." 1907-1918. (Young Photo Co. Nanking Road Shanghai-printed in Germany/New York Public Library)

"Travelling on Wheel Barrow in Shanghai." 1921. (Kamogawa & Co. Shanghai/New York Public Library)

"Life on a Sampan." 1904. (Hongkong Pictorial Postcard Co./New York Public Library)

"In Front of a Chinese Temple." 1910-1919. (Chrom. Edit. Kingshill, Shanghai. No. 136/New York Public Library)

"Chair." 1907-1918. (New York Public Library)

"Two Little Maids in China." 1907-1918. (American Baptist Foreign Mission Society/New York Public Library)

[Images from the New York Public Library via Asia Society]