City workers watering a street (dust control), Beijing

City workers watering a street (dust control), Beijing

Notes

University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China reference number: JC-s291. Men watering the streets with big wooden ladles and a tub on a pole. There's a description of this form of dust control on page 118 of 'An Adventurous Journey' by Mrs Alec-Tweedie (Thornton Butterworth, revised edition 1929). The shop in the background may sell paint or coloured dyes. This post card is reproduced in 'Old Beijing – Postcards from the Imperial City' by Felicitas Titus (Tuttle, 2012) on page 113. On the back of the post card: PUBLISHED BY CAMERA CRAFT CO., PEKING, CHINA. MADE IN U.S.A. Photograph probably by John David Zumbrun. See Mi01-057, Ru-s075 and Sw06-132.

Location

Beijing

Estimated Date

1920s

Photographer

Zumbrun, John David

Material

Paper

Media

Tinted photograph