The bo'sun and crew of the famous junk ‘Ning Po’ in fanciful costume
Collection
Identifier
JC-s457
Notes
University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China reference number: JC-s457. An image on a post card printed by George Rice & Sons, Los Angeles, USA. This three-masted ship was built of ironwood and camphor in Fuzhou (Foochow) in 1753 and named ‘Kin Tai Foong’ (The Golden Typhoon). Over many years, the fast, strong and well-equipped junk was used as a smuggler, slave trader, prison ship and for martial purposes. W.M. Milne of Pasadena purchased the notorious junk and it sailed to USA, arriving in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, in 1913. The junk was used as a restaurant and for tourism, eventually mooring in Catalina Harbour, South Catalina Island, where it was burned in 1935. The sailors are dressed in fanciful Chinese costume, presumably Milne’s idea. A bo’sun (boatswain or deck boss) controls the work of the other seamen. See ‘Gum Saan Journal, December 1979 (https://gumsaanjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/scanned_volumes/gsj-1979.pdf) and http://www.cawreckdivers.org/Wrecks/Ningpo.htm. See JC-s455, JC-s459 and JC-s461.
Caption on photograph
Bo’sun and crew. On board the old historic Chinese Junk “NING-PO,” famous smuggler from the Yellow Sea. / Copyright by W.M. Milne
Related Photographs
Estimated Date
c.1912
Material
Paper
Media
Tinted photograph
