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Clem Russell China Photograph Collection, 1930-1932

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Russell, Clem
Title
Clem Russell China Photograph Collection
Dates
1930-1932 (inclusive)
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.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

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.

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Historical Background

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.

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Content Description

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.

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Use of the Collection

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.

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Administrative Information

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.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

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

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Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)


2008 (Last modified: 4/18/2018)

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