Photo supplied from John Breen's private collection.
There is also a copy of the same photo in the Royal Asiatic Society collection in London.
A Bonhams catalogue dates it to the 1880s: http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/11946/lot/28/
The number on the policeman's collar is 132 - can anyone identify the year from that?
I'd also be very interested to know if anyone recognises the location.
Regards, David
Comments
Inscription & location
Thomas notes that despite the Chinese inscription, we can see a couple of advertisements for "Fritz's patent antiseptic" in the background above the heads of the policeman and the prisoner on the left.
That makes me think we're in Hong Kong or Shanghai. I found a couple of photos showing Chinese poliecemen in Shanghai:
http://www.virtualshanghai.net/Photos/Images?ID=25201
http://www.virtualshanghai.net/Photos/Images?ID=14853
In both cases their uniform has two lines of buttons down the front of the jacket. But in this photo there is just a single line of buttons, and as it matches photos of Chinese police uniforms shown in the Hong Kong Police Museum, I'll say this photo was taken in Hong Kong. Confirmation / correction welcome!
The inscription is not very clear to read, but the RAS copy shows it a bit better. Can anyone recognise what it was talking about? (Click the image for a larger copy you can zoom in on)
Regards, David
Re: Location
Prisoners in cangue
The scribe is pretty illegible. If you could blow it up some more, I might be able to make something out.
regards,
S.W.
The best resolution I have is
The best resolution I have is if you zoom in to https://gwulo.com/atom/16204/zoom - but that's still not very clear, I'm sorry to say.