THOMAS CHILD. A COLLECTION OF EIGHT NEGATIVES AND ONE POSITIVE ON GLASS, TOGETHER WITH NINE MODERN ALBUMEN PRINTS

9 GELATINE DRY PLATES, comprising 8 glass plate negatives  (252 x 201mm., or the reverse), and one glass plate contact positive (175 x 228mm.), by Thomas Child, three signed and dated by Child, preserved in an archival folding box, some wear and damage and loss to glass and emulsion, 4 of the broken plates conserved and preserved between cover glass Together with a set of 9 albumen prints (200 x 250mm., or the reverse) made from digital negatives of the original plates in July 2018 by the Centre for Photographic Conservation, London, each print preserved in an archival polyester sleeve

Acquired in the 1960s by the present owner from a house in Kent

The plates have been expertly conserved by the Centre for Photographic Conservation in London to remove dust and dirt and to consolidate breaks and damage in the plates.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

VERY RARE. THE ONLY KNOWN SURVIVING ORIGINAL NEGATIVES OF CHINA BY THOMAS CHILD, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHOTOGRAPHERS WORKING IN BEIJING IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. The images depict: 1. Two seated monks with a table shrine; 2. A Chinese bridge and gate (in the Forbidden city?); 3. Path to Ming Tombs; 4. A Chinese family of five adults and two children; 5. City walls and dwellings; 6. A group of Chinese with two sledges on a frozen lake [positive image on glass]; 7. A sedan chair and carriers outside a Chinese building; 8. A group of Chinese school girls with their teacher; 9. A group of four street traders or beggars and two children.

The original plates are offered together with a complete set of recently commissioned albumen prints, the medium in which prints would have been made from the negatives by Child.