CHINESE SCHOOL, MID-19TH CENTURY | The Bund, Shanghai

Purchased by the father of the present owner; thence by descent

At the centre of the picture, built in traditional Chinese style, is the Chinese custom house. To its right, the tower bell of the Holy Trinity Church, built in 1847, stands tall. On the far right, the British flag is an indicator of the white building most likely being the British Consulate. After opening to western trade in 1842, the western community in Shanghai went from half a dozen houses along the Huangpu river, to a stretch of two-and-three storeyed buildings with gardens over several miles.