The Face of China

Reprinted for the first time since its original publication twenty years ago, The Face of China is an evocative and candid collection of some of the first photographs made in that country. Along with descriptive captions, these images describe the daily life and surroundings of an era now passed. The people are as seen through Western eyes, and the places are as traversed by foreigners. These early photographers were explorers and adventurers. They lugged huge cameras with heavy glass plates over rugged, unfamiliar terrain.