Clem Russell China Photograph Collection

Clem Russell China Photograph Collection, 1930-1932

Overview of the Collection

Collector: Russell, Clem
Title: Clem Russell China Photograph Collection
Dates: 1930-1932 (inclusive)
19301932
Quantity: 218 photographic prints (1 box)
Collection Number: PH0691
Summary: Photographs of China collected by Private Clem D. Russell United States Marine Corps while he was stationed in Beiping (now Beijing)
Repository: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions: The collection is open to the public.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Clem D. Russell was born in 1912. When he was 17, he and his older brother, Rollie, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. They were stationed in Beiping (now Beijing), China from 1930-1932. Clem was a member of the 62nd Company Legation Guard, and Rollie was a member of the band. Clem’s memoir, “The China Marine,” contains stories about prostitutes, drugs, and diseases in Asia and the Pacific. After serving in China, Clem and Rollie had a falling out over an executioner’s knife and a silk shawl. Clem was sent to Quantico, Virginia, and Rollie was sent to San Diego, California. In 1933, Clem married Lucille E. Mattern and left the Marine Corps. In 1937, he joined the Marine Corps League and was an active member for many years. He was an amateur Marine Corps historian and donated many items to the Marine Corps University archives in Quantico, Virginia. In 1977, the Chinese government awarded him the Chinese War Memorial Medal.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

In 1917, Sun Yat Sen ended centuries of imperial rule in China and ushered in the Nationalist Period. In 1924, Puyi, the last emperor of China, was expelled from his home in the Forbidden City. In 1928, Chiang Kai Shek turned Beijing into Beiping by moving the capital to Nanjing (the word "jing" means capital). By the early 1930s, China had gone through many changes. However, the Japanese invasion during the second Sino-Japanese war had not yet occurred and Mao Zedong had not yet come to power. By the end of the twentieth century, many landmarks and cultural traditions documented in this collection were gone or dramatically altered.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains 203 photographs of China in the early 1930s when Private Clem D. Russell was stationed in Beiping (now Beijing). Most of these photos are of Beiping and the surrounding areas of northeast China. This collection also contains 14 photographs of Art Deco paintings of young attractive Chinese women and one photo postcard of Hong Kong.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions might exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the repository for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Custodial History

Clem Russell gave the collection to his friend, R. B. Jay.

Acquisition Information

R. B. Jay gave the collection to the East Asia Library in 2000. The East Asia Library transferred it to Special Collections in 2001.

Processing Note

Processed by Scott Forland, 2005.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

ChinaReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Tartar Wall and gates, Beiping (now Beijing), China	circa 1930-1932
Folder	item
1	1	Tartar Wall	circa 1930-1932
1	2	Observatory near Tungpienmen	circa 1930-1932
1	3	Hatamen Street	circa 1930-1932
1	4	Hopingmen from Tartar Wall	circa 1930-1932
1	5	Chienmen from Tartar Wall	circa 1930-1932
1	6	Outdoor restaurant in Chienmen with two Marine Corps radio towers in background	circa 1930-1932
1	7	Tartar Wall and Hatamen from Chienmen Station	circa 1930-1932
1	8	Chienmen Station "It is my understanding that this station is no longer there. The new station is located about where the old YMCA was. The new station has the largest waiting room in the world."	circa 1930-1932
1	9	Train arriving at Chienmen Station	1932
1	10	Chienmen	circa 1930-1932
1	11	Chienmen from Tartar Wall	circa 1930-1932
		Legations, Beiping (now Beijing), China
Folder	item
2	12-13	Entrance to Italian Legation	1931
2	14	Entrance to British Military Compound	1931
		Forbidden City, Beiping (now Beijing), China	circa 1930-1932
Folder	item
3	15-16	Forbidden City from Tartar Wall	circa 1930-1932
3	17	Forbidden City from Coal Hill	circa 1930-1932
3	18-19	Thrown Hill	circa 1930-1932
3	20-22	Wall of Forbidden City	circa 1930-1932
4	23-27	Gilded lions	circa 1930-1932
4	28-30	Incense burners	circa 1930-1932
5	31	Courtyard	circa 1930-1932
5	32	Gate to inner courtyard	circa 1930-1932
5	33	Rollie Russell, Clem's brother, in Forbidden City	circa 1930-1932
5	34-36	Forbidden City	circa 1930-1932
		Yenching University, Beiping (now Beijing), China
Folder	item
6	37	Building at Yenching University "Three American and one English mission support the University."	circa 1930-1932
		Miscellaneous, Beiping, China
Folder	item
7	38	Gate	circa 1930-1932
7	39	Pagoda	circa 1930-1932
7	40	Temple	circa 1930-1932
7	41-43	Buildings (probably temples)	circa 1930-1932
		Temple of Heaven, Beiping, China
Folder	item
8	44-47	Temple of Agriculture "Here the Emperor offered sacrifice to Shen Nung, the prehistoric ruler to whom the temple is dedicated and who was the first agriculturalist. The altars here are square 'as the earth is square.'"	circa 1930-1932
8	48-49	Temple of Tablets	circa 1930-1932
8	50-51	Temple of the Sun	circa 1930-1932
9	52-55	Alter of Heaven	circa 1930-1932
9	56-58	Temple of Heaven	circa 1930-1932
		Summer Palace, China
Folder	item
10	59-65	Summer Palace	circa 1930-1932
10	66	Round window at Summer Palace	circa 1930-1932
10	67	Tablet at Summer Palace	circa 1930-1932
11	68-70	Bridge of Seventeen Arches "The 'Seventeen Arches Bridge' connects the east shore of the lake with the island. On the island is the 'Dragon Temple.'"	circa 1930-1932
11	71-76	Lake "The name of the hill [of the Summer Palace across the lake] is 'the Mountain of Eternity.' On the left is the 'Temple of the Clouds' and on the right is 'Temple of 5,000 Buddhas.'"	circa 1930-1932
11	77-78	Marble Boat	circa 1930-1932
11	79	Teahouse near Marble Boat	circa 1930-1932
12	80-85	Pagoda	circa 1930-1932
12	86	Temple of 5,000 Buddhas	circa 1930-1932
13	87-91	Jade Fountain Pagoda	circa 1930-1932
13	92-94	Temple of the Clouds	circa 1930-1932
13	95-97	Camel-Back Bridge "'Camel-Back Bridge'...spans the canal that supplies the lake with water from the Jade Fountain."	circa 1930-1932
		Winter Palace (Beihai Park), Beiping (now Beijing), China
Folder	item
14	98-99	Bridge of 1,000 Years	circa 1930-1932
14	100-104	Great White Dagoba and Bridge of 1,000 Years	circa 1930-1932
14	105-108	Great White Dagoba and North Lake	circa 1930-1932
14	109	Steps to Great White Dagoba	circa 1930-1932
15	110-111	Dragon screen "'Spirit Wall' called the Dragon Screen, made of glazed tile with figures of dragons in relief."	circa 1930-1932
15	112	Rock grottos on South Lake	circa 1930-1932
15	113	Boat on South Lake	circa 1930-1932
15	114	Stone Lion	circa 1930-1932
15	115	Courtyard	circa 1930-1932
15	116	Bridge	circa 1930-1932
15	117-122	Winter Palace (Beihai Park)	circa 1930-1932
		Lama Temple (Yonghegong), Beiping (now Beijing), China
Folder	item
16	123	Buddha at Lama Temple	circa 1930-1932
		Hall of Classics, Beiping (now Beijing), China
Folder	item
17	124	Gate leading to Hall of Classics	circa 1930-1932
		Temple of Confucius, Beiping (now Beijing), China
Folder	item
18	125	Gate leading to Temple of Confucius	circa 1930-1932
		Troop train, China
Folder	item
19	126	Chinese Troop Train	circa 1930-1932
19	127	Chinese Troop Train	1930
		Ming Tombs and Sacred Way, China
Folder	item
20	128	Great Pailou	circa 1930-1932
20	129	Stone elephant	circa 1930-1932
20	130	Stone qilin	circa 1930-1932
20	131	Stone camel	circa 1930-1932
20	132	Stone horse	circa 1930-1932
20	133	Sacred Way	circa 1930-1932
20	134	Stone official	circa 1930-1932
20	135	Stone general	circa 1930-1932
20	136	Tablet	circa 1930-1932
20	137-139	Burial site	circa 1930-1932
20	140	Ming tombs	circa 1930-1932
20	141	Tomb of Yung Lo "This is the 'Soul Tower.' Beyond the tower is the sealed chamber containing the body of the Emperor."	circa 1930-1932
		Great Wall, China
Folder	item
21	142	Station for Great Wall	circa 1930-1932
21	143	Marines on train to Great Wall	1931
21	144-145	Marines at Great Wall	1931
21	146-149	Great Wall	circa 1930-1932
		Hills west of Beiping, China
Folder	item
22	150	Western Hills	circa 1930-1932
22	151	Road to Western Hills	circa 1930-1932
22	152	Pagoda	circa 1930-1932
22	153	Temple	circa 1930-1932
22	154-155	Hotel	1932
22	156	Pailou near Western Hills	circa 1930-1932
		Hong Kong, China
Folder	item
23	157	Star Ferry	1932
23	158	Hong Kong chair	1932
		Miscellaneous people, China
Folder	item
24	159	Men and boats	circa 1930-1932
24	160	People and buildings	circa 1930-1932
24	161	Man washing turnips	circa 1930-1932
24	162	Men along road	circa 1930-1932
24	163	People selling grain	circa 1930-1932
24	164	Child and well	circa 1930-1932
24	165	Men in uniform and pack animals	circa 1930-1932
24	166	Men working on train track	circa 1930-1932
24	167	Man in uniform and stone lion	circa 1930-1932
24	168	Men on street	circa 1930-1932
25	169	Funeral procession	circa 1930-1932
25	170	Procession	circa 1930-1932
25	171	Children	circa 1930-1932
25	172	Girl	circa 1930-1932
25	173	Barber and customer	circa 1930-1932
25	174	Men and carts	circa 1930-1932
25	175	Men	circa 1930-1932
25	176	Man with Chinese violin	circa 1930-1932
25	177	Woman and child	circa 1930-1932
25	178	People traveling	circa 1930-1932
26	179-183	Men and carts	circa 1930-1932
26	184	Sidewalk merchant	circa 1930-1932
26	185	Money changer	circa 1930-1932
26	186-188	People on street	circa 1930-1932
27	189	Men in uniform	circa 1930-1932
27	190	Men, children, and donkey	circa 1930-1932
27	191	Street seller	circa 1930-1932
27	192	Men and train between Tientsin and Beiping (now Beijing)	circa 1930-1932
		Miscellaneous structures, China
Folder	item
28	193	Buildings and Pailou	circa 1930-1932
28	194	Construction	circa 1930-1932
28	195	Pagoda	circa 1930-1932
28	196	Pailau	circa 1930-1932
28	197	Reception hall for the royal residences	circa 1930-1932
28	198	Burial site of a Chinese official	circa 1930-1932
28	199	Tablet with lion	circa 1930-1932
28	200	Bell	circa 1930-1932
28	201	Building through arch	circa 1930-1932
28	202	Tablet with dragons	circa 1930-1932
28	203	Watch tower	circa 1930-1932

Photographs of art deco paintings of Chinese womenReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
29	204-217	Photographs of art deco paintings of Chinese women	undated

Photo postcard of Hong KongReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
30	218	Photo postcard of Aberdeen fishing junks	undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Art deco--China--Photographs
China--History--Photographs
Great Wall of China (China)--Photographs
Ming Tombs (China)--Photographs
Palaces--China--Beijing--Photographs
Stūpas--Photographs
Temples--China--Beijing--Photographs

Geographical Names

Beijing (China)--Photographs
China--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

Photographic prints

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

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